Always Be Your Zelda
by Zepora2276
Summary: Link had no idea how much he needed Zelda. Not only needed, but loved. And he will do anything in order to find her. A Skyward Sword fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1: Late Night Adventure

"Psst. Link," Six-year-old Zelda whispered to her friend. "Link!" She said a little louder.

Link rolled over at the sound and pulled the covers up to his head with a moan. Zelda, not amused with being ignored, opened the door to Link's room and walked over with her candle. She placed it on his nightstand and climbed atop his bed. She began bouncing up and down to awaken him.

"Liiiink." She persisted.

"Zelda?" Link questioned, slightly opening his eyes.

"Come here!" She whispered loudly. "I want to show you something."

Link sighed, not nearly as interested in the late night adventure as Zelda wanted him to be. But still yet he did as she commanded him, as usual, and threw the covers off to get up. In the process of doing so, he threw them right on top of Zelda.

"Hey!" She tried to sound annoyed, but her adorable giggle still escaped. Link snickered and put his boots on.

Zelda grabbed him by the hand and led him out the door. They silently made their way up the stairs, careful to jump over each creaky floorboard. When they reached the top Zelda stopped.

"Close your eyes." She commanded him excitedly.

Link sighed and did as she said. He never knew if it would be good or bad. He heard Zelda open the door quietly. She took his hand and led him outside. They made their way down the to the lower portion of the academy, Zelda guiding him all the way, telling him to watch out or jump. They continued on over the bridge, which was a pretty far journey for the young pair. But Link knew every inch of Skyloft already at age seven, ("seven and a half" according to him) so there was no fear of getting turned around.

"Okay. Open." She told him.

When Link opened his eyes, a beautiful sight engulfed him. The Starry Fireflies had congregated above the stream. They danced above the water, blinking their lights in a seemingly rhythmic manner. The moon was full, making the area bright enough to see without the help of any light.

"Wow…" he breathed.

Zelda beamed with satisfaction upon seeing his reaction. She took Link's hand again and pulled him into the stream with her. They played and splashed in the water, watching it sparkle as it flew in the air. The Starry Fireflies didn't shy away at their presence, and continued to dance and blink, occasionally landing on one of the children's outstretched hands.

It wasn't until they saw the early signs of daybreak that Link and Zelda realized how long they had been outside. Link had wished to go in slightly earlier, but seeing as Zelda begged him to stay outside and continue playing her favorite game, (the hero saves the princess, and she was always the hero) Link didn't refuse.

Zelda loved the night. Fear and the unknown didn't shut her down. It invigorated her. The night was full of surprises and Zelda intended to figure out every one, which worried her father.

Link had been slightly more reserved in the ways of adventure however. His parents had died a tragic death when he was only the age of four, leaving him alone on Skyloft. Growing up without parents had made him fairly more cautious then Zelda. Grant it, he wasn't exactly "timid". Link was fast and rather sneaky. His agility was apparent upon seeing him play with Zelda, and he had a rather mischievous side to him, one that only she could bring out. But Link was really more content there in Skyloft. It had been his home the past 3 years. He had come to love it and appreciate what it had to offer.

Zelda, on the other hand, was never satisfied with the island. It was her home as well, and she did love it, but she wanted more. She always wanted more land, more explorations, more adventures. She longed to have her own loftwing, so she could fly and taste the feeling of being free. But she still had years until she would get to meet her feathery companion.

The two decided they had better run inside quickly before anyone awoke. So they darted their way back to the academy, and silently made their way to the bathroom on the upper level. Link opened the door, ushering her in while keeping a look out. The minute he shut it, a towel hit his face.

"Heads up." Zelda said quietly.

"Zel," Link responded, trying to sound annoyed. "You're supposed to say that before you throw."

"Oops." She hadn't seemed to be sympathetic.

Link took the towel and dried off his face and shook it through his hair before drying off his arms and legs. Zelda did the same.

"That was fun." Zelda said happily.

"Agreed, Little Bird." Link replied.

"Oh I'm not a little bird!" She said for the thousandth time, throwing her towel at him.

Link put the towels with the rest of the dirty ones, hoping no one would notice the extra two. He headed for the door, as his sleepiness was taking over.

"Tweet." He teased, running down to his room before she could catch him.

* * *

**A/N: Update: This was just my first chapter, and frankly, it's the worst out of them all. So I beg of you to continue reading because, I can promise you, it does get better and more interesting, and has less grammatical errors. I haven't had the time to rewrite this one, but just trust me. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2: Zelda's Lullaby

Link looked out the window. The night was still and almost eerie. He wished for company, as he was slightly intimidated by the sounds coming from out his window. The wind howled more than usual, and the sound of angry remlits and chuchus echoed in his mind. His thoughts trailed back to nights like this when he was little.

His crying would cease immidiatly when his mother's soft hand stroked him tenderly whilst singing an ancient lullaby in a foreign language, long forgotten by the inhabitants of the sky. Thoughts of his father's strong, protective arms entrapping him and his mother came to him. He could almost feel the warmth that radiated from them. Or his father tossing him into the air, making Link feel almost weightless, and dropping back into his arms.

For a while, Link hung on these memories. With his eyes closed, he longed to go back to those times. But soon, he became engulfed in the feeling of sadness and loneliness.

To his surprise, he heard the turning of his doorknob. He was so lost in memories he didn't notice the pitter-patter of tiny bare feet making there way to his door. The door opened, and a little hand pushed through the crack holding a candle.

"Link?" Zelda whispered. "Are you awake?"

"Yes." Link squeaked, trying not to sound as scared as he was.

Zelda made her way over to him, the dim light cascading on her pale little face.

"I'm not really in the mood for an adventure tonight Zelda." Link said hesitantly. He didn't want to disappoint her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was dangerous tonight.

"Me either." She said placing the candle down on his nightstand before throwing the covers back and climbing into his bed. "I'm scared." Her voice was quiet and slightly shaky. Link could tell something must have been on her mind, because it looked as though she had been crying. Zelda snuggled up to Link, her head reaching his shoulder.

"Don't be scared Zel. Everything's alright." He tried to console her while hiding the fact that he too, was scared.

After a few moments of silence, Zelda spoke.

"Do you remember your mama?" She asked sincerely. Link suddenly knew why she had been crying, and he found it ironic that both of them had been thinking of their mothers.

"Yes I do. A little at least."

"Tell me about her." Zelda said to him. Link was actually touched that she wanted to hear about his mom. It was one of the few times they spoke of their mutual heartache, or his past.

"Well," he started. "She was pretty. She had long brown hair. The opposite of mine really. And she sang. She liked to sing a lot. Her skin was kind of pale like yours. She made the best cookies. And bread. And she was amazing on a loftwing. I would often watch her sore over the sky and long to be like her. It was like she could talk to it. Like they knew what each other's thoughts. I wanted to be like her in that aspect…." Link trailed off, conjuring up his mother's scent in his mind. Zelda looked over to see he had a small smile on his face.

"She sounds nice." She said sweetly. "And your daddy?"

Link thought for a moment before answering. "He was tall. And he had blonde hair. In fact, when I first showed up at Skyloft, Owlan said I looked just like him. He was also an amazing flyer. He and my mama used to perform tricks for me. She would fly above him and slide off her loftwing and land in his arms." Thousands of memories began coming back to Link as he told Zelda of his parents. He had forgotten a lot, as he tried to push back his past. But for once, he felt good talking about them. When other people asked about his parents, he got upset. But there was something about Zelda asking him. Her genuine questions, and sincere curiosity, her shared feelings and despair of losing a parent, her big blue eyes begging to hear about it, so pure and innocent. He couldn't bottle it up when he was with her, but he didn't mind talking. He enjoyed it. Link was usually a boy of few words, but Zelda brought out his talkative side. She had known him since his first day on Skyloft, and she never left his side.

"And whenever I was scared, my mother would sing me a lullaby. And upon hearing it, I felt safe." He finally finished. Zelda sat, contemplating what all he had told her. Her thoughts trailed back to her own mother.

"What about your mamma, Zelda?" Link asked her. He knew she didn't like to talk about it usually, and that was partially the reason she ask him about his parents, to get her own off her mind. But Link wanted to hear, and he knew it would help her to talk about it.

"She would do the same thing. Sing. Daddy says I look just like her. She had pale skin like me, and long blonde hair. She loved animals and loftwings, and our pet, Mia. She was beautiful. And she could do almost anything. We played so many games. She liked to go on adventures too. She never yelled or got angry. And sometimes at bath time, she would let me put all the bubbles I wanted in the bathtub. She would put them on her mouth and blow, so it looked like she had a long white beard. It always made me laugh…" Zelda trailed off after a moment. A storm outside began to pick up, and Zelda shuddered at the sound of the wind.

"And when I was scared, she would sing. She sang this pretty little lullaby that always made me stop crying." She finished.

"Would you sing it for me?" Link asked her.

"Sing it? You mean the lullaby?" She asked, slightly surprised at his request.

"Yes. I always like to hear you sing." He told her.

Zelda didn't wait to hear anything else. She merely took a breath, and her small voice as sweet as honey filled Link's ears.

_Sleep my child, go to sleep my child_

_Dream sweet dreams of olden times_

_Sleep my child, go to sleep my child_

_Rest your weary eyes_

_Waltz under moonlit trees_

_Sail out among the seas_

_Give into all your dreams and sleep _

As she sang, Link felt himself slip into the place Zelda sang about. Zelda's voice became more and more quiet as she too, fell asleep in her own lullaby.

_Sleep my child, go to sleep my child_

_Have no fear; I'm here by your side_

_Dream my child, sweet dreams my child_

_The sun has said goodnight_

_Drift through the open sky_

_Wings spread and spirits high_

_Wave as the clouds go by and dream_

On the last verse she sang, she reached up, and blew out her candle.

_Waltz under moonlit trees_

_Sail out among the seas_

_Give into all your dreams_

_And sleep_

And together, the pair fell asleep, protecting each other from the darkness they both feared.

"Good night, Zelda." Link whispered, almost inaudible. And with that, Zelda fell into a deep sleep of pleasant dreams.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Link and Zelda. I know it's depressing but I wanted to really form an unbreakable bond between these two. Just a side note: The lyrics came from the version of Zelda's Lullaby on YouTube by Alisa (ellebirdy23). Here's the link if you wish to listen to it. watch?v=zp_n1miUoKk So yeah, I can't take credit for that, filing my disclaimer here. I'll be sure to upload more chapters soon. Please feel free to leave a review, I hope it's good so far. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Typical Day

Morning came quicker than Link had expected. Ten-year-old Zelda woke him up by bonking him on the head, and he wondered how she was able to function so normally with such little sleep, considering they had gone adventuring the night before. She told him that breakfast would be ready soon and threw his day clothes at him to inspire him to get up. When he refused, she pulled his leg, attempting to yank him out of bed. Link held on to the bedpost for dear life while Zelda leaned all her weight in the other direction. Eventually, Link's grip slid and they both plopped on the ground.

"Mph. Morning to you too." He groaned.

Zelda was indifferent to his comment. She merely stood up and brushed her self off.

"Yes it is a good morning." She said, mother-like, ignoring the fact that Link didn't even use the word "good". "Will you eat with me this morning? Please? I have no one to sit with when you don't come." Which was a lie. The other student adored Zelda, but she really preferred to be with Link, which he knew. He looked up at her, exasperated.

"Oh alright." He said, a smile beginning to appear on the older boy's face. He held his hand up for Zelda to take, and hand in hand they strolled their way to the dining room for breakfast, Zelda leading him along as always.

"Ahh, Link. Glad to see little-miss-blondy could get you here on time for once." Henya said in her typical shrill, annoyed tone.

"Yes ma'am. We can thank her." Link said politely, although the comment slightly irritated him. But he got over it quick. He liked Henya. Even though she could be a bit of a grouch, he enjoyed her ever-present company at times, or the sound of her bustling around in the kitchen when things were all too quiet.

Zelda and Link got their breakfast and sat side by side. They chatted about the day's plans over their meal: toast with cream cheese, a cup of berries, and some sort of warm cereal made by Henya. Link enjoyed a glass of milk while Zelda sipped on her orange juice. She hated milk by itself, unless it had chocolate in it. Chocolate was one thing Zelda could never turn down.

"Did you remember to read that chapter in your book that Instructor Horwell assigned?" Zelda inquired. She always made sure Link was up to date in his studies.

"Yes, Mom." Link teased. "I mean, sort of. Once I saw what it was over I sort of…skimmed." He admitted.

Zelda sighed. She was not surprised. "I knew it. Well, you better hope he doesn't call on you in class to answer questions."

"So what if he does?" Link questioned. "It's a history lesson. You know what 'history' Skyloft has? None. It's the same thing every time Zel. Goddess. Battle. Carves out ground. Sky. Here we are. Besides, it's all a legend anyway. I may as well make up my own history of Skyloft and call it factual."

Zelda listened, slightly annoyed, which Link could tell by her typical rolling of her eyes, but she was actually slightly intrigued with what he was saying. She knew it was true as well. But she couldn't help feeling like that there was more to that legend. That it wasn't just a legend. But she dismissed her thoughts and began to challenge Link instead.

"Really? You could make up your own? Okay Mr. Historian let's hear it."

Link started out dramatically. "This is but one of the legends many people speak—

"Nope. Hate it." Zelda interrupted.

Link looked at her in disgust. "Oh excuse me?"

Zelda was trying to hold back laughter. "There is actually only one legend. So your sources and/or facts are therefore incorrect. I waste not my time with this foolish child's play." A grin broke across her face.

"Child's play?!" Link said smiling with his eyebrows raised in shock.

"Precisely."

"How old are you again?" Link said to her, making her realize she was in fact still the younger one of the two.

Zelda got up to place her dishes to the stack of dirty ones.

"Do you mean mentally or physically? Because mentally, you may as well be my pet." And with that comment, she took off running out of the dining hall, closely followed by Link, chasing after her.

Their laughs echoed through the halls with the slam of a door ending them, while Henya chuckled to herself, shaking her head thinking about the young ones. She looked out the window to see Link and Zelda running and playing together in the morning sun before class.

The bell above the academy began to ring, indicating class was ready to start. Link and Zelda ran hand in hand to class.

Link began to stare out the window during the boring lecture. His mind wandered through the clouds, soring high on his crimson loftwing. He remembered the day he encountered his loftwing.

_He stood in the middle of the circle below the Statue of the Goddess, where every Skyloftian would stand at the age of 10 to receive their loftwing. Link stood and looked up at the sky, feeling his heart tug at him. He felt as if there were something up there, something that was a part of him. He searched for his companion, knowing that it would be searching for him too. Link studied the sky, grimacing from the sun, holding a hand up to his forehead to see well. _

_Then, he saw it. A shape, high in the sky flew over him, between his gaze and the sun. It flew out of sight and then circled back down. The bird descended towards Link at a blazing speed. When it had reached the appropriate height from the ground, it slowed its speed, sticking its large talons down in front of it, and flapping its monstrous wings in the opposite direction. Link covered his face from the wind it created._

_ When all had settled, the other residents of Skyloft gasped. They were speechless, bewildered in fact, at the sight before them. The bright crimson loftwing, long thought to be extinct, stood still, gazing at its new master. Link smiled in amazement at the beautiful creature. He took one step forward, staring deep into its eyes. He held out a hand, as to not scare the loftwing. The bird's giant head gently leaned into his hand. Link laughed at the feeling of the soft feathers, and the slight purr of his bird. His bird. _

_Link continued to pet the bird while the others stared in amazement at the two of them. Most children were frightened at the first sight of their loftwing, considering the creatures were so large and could be rather intimidating. But Link was not in the least bit afraid. He and his bird were connected, in a way no one on Skyloft had ever seen before. _

_Zelda pushed her way through the crowd to get a glimpse of Link and his new ride. When she made her way to the front, her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe her bright blue eyes. _

_Gaepora made his way to instruct Link on what to do. This was usually Horwell's job, but Gaepora was the closest thing Link had to a father, and he preferred Gaepora teach him. _

_But to the headmaster's surprise, Link hopped on his loftwing without a moment of instruction. The young boy held on to the feathers and took off at full speed, spiraling towards the sky. The crowd stood shocked, some in sheer horror or fear for Link's safety. Except Zelda. She stood as jealous as could be. Sure, she was happy for her best friend. But in a way, she wished it had been her on that beautiful bird. _

_When the crowd finally dispersed, Zelda stayed put, waiting on Link to return. All of Skyloft had heard of the amazing scene that had taken place that morning, and it was all the village could talk about, although Zelda was tired of hearing it. She sat cross-legged in the circle searching the sky. Eventually her neck grew tired, so she sat slumped over. After hours of waiting, she heard the flapping wings make their way down. Her golden hair began whipping her face. She turned around to see a grinning Link landing his bird skillfully on the ground. _

_"Have a nice flight?" She asked, unenthused. _

_"Did I ever!" Link answered excitedly, making his way into telling Zelda all about the past hours and thrills they contained. He told her of all his discoveries and new sights he saw. Zelda listened, having a hard time being jealous anymore, as she was too curious as to what else was out there. Link could tell she had been sad about the fact she was still a year away from meeting her loftwing, and he realized her slight posturing towards him for how good of a rider he already was. _

_"Hey…" He began. "Everything okay?"_

_"Yeah." She replied. _

_He knew immidiatly it wasn't. Zelda never gave one-word answers. _

_"Zel…" He said sympathetically. _

_"No really, it's fine. It's just…" She stopped for a while to gather her words. "I really wish I had my own loftwing now too. And I'm afraid that, since you have a new friend, you'll fly around up there and forget about me, still being stuck down here." _

_Link was touched at her words. He knew his best friend meant every bit of it. He could always tell with her. _

_"Zelda, are you kidding me? I'm not going to be up there all the time. I love the adventures I have down here with you." _

_Zelda looked up, her eyes big with excitement and relief. "You mean it?" She asked innocently. _

_"Of course I mean it." _

_She could tell his answer was sincere, and she instantly returned to the excitable, happy young girl. She began to ask Link all sorts of questions about flying and the sky, and ponder about a world below. The two walked all around the village, Link depicting all the sights into Zelda's imaginary._

The kick into his shin from Zelda's toe brought him back into reality. She was shooting him a look and shaking her head. She knew where his mind had been the past half hour. Link only smiled at her. She could never stay mad at him.

The class ended an hour later. To Link's surprise, and delight, there was no reading assignment. He packed up his papers and threw them in his bag, waiting for Zelda to do the same. Once they were both ready to go, they quickly escaped the classroom, eager to get outside and play.

The sun was high in the afternoon sky. The pair ran hand in hand down to the stream. Zelda always wore her swim attire under her dress on warm days such as this one. Link usually just threw off his shirt and jumped in. Both the children swam for a few hours before lying out in the sun watching the thin, wispy clouds stroll by above them. The warm sun dried their skin, leaving them content with their surroundings and each other's company. Zelda's hair was sprawled behind her, and her bangs were lightly caught in the warm breeze.

"I'm getting hungry." Link finally said after their moments of silence.

"Me too." Zelda replied, propping herself up.

"Your hair has grass in it." He said, cracking a smile as he began to pick it out.

Zelda didn't seem too disturbed by such, letting Link take care of the mess like he usually did.

"Have you ever heard of a brush?" He teased her.

"Have you ever heard of a fist in your stomach?" She said, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"Fair enough." He stated, beginning to stand up. He gave Zelda his hand and pulled her up, almost losing his balance. She was rather small compared to him.

"Although, just know I could still take you." Link stated, his boyish pride getting to him. He couldn't let Zelda think she was stronger.

"Oh really?" She asked mischievously.

"Yeah, really."

"Okay great." And with her response, she pushed him down, straddled him, and pinned his shoulders to the ground, screaming as she counted to 10 extremely fast. Disgruntled at her success, Link threw her off, which wasn't hard considering she was beginning to laugh. This had happened before, and each time Link hated losing. She may have been small, but she was rather quick, and frankly strong, for her size.

"You know one of these days that's not going to be so easy." He said standing up and brushing himself off.

"You say that every time. And every time I still win." She scoffed.

"Whatever." He said, brushing off the past minute. "It's only because I'm hungry. I need my strength. So how about a snack?"

Zelda agreed, and they both walked to the academy to snack on what Henya laid out for the students to munch on until dinner.

Pipit and Karane joined the two for a while. They all sat in the dining area, telling each other of their day and what they planned to do later. Karane and Zelda decided to go finish a previously started craft (something of which Link was not fond of participating in) until dinnertime. Pipit headed for his room to read some more of his studies, considering he was an upperclassman and had oh so much more work than the younger two (or so he said), leaving Link alone in the dining room.

He decided to make his way to his room and work on his woodcarvings. He enjoyed carving and sculpting wood, usually into the shape of his loftwing. He even had made Zelda a few for her to keep.

The smell of fresh bread and soup made its way throughout the academy, and the students knew they would hear Henya ringing the dinner bell soon. Sure enough, the sound came, and the four friends met in the dining area again.

After dinner, Link followed Zelda to her room. He sat in her desk chair while she repaired a tear in one of her dresses.

"Who taught you how to sew?" He inquired.

"Karane. She's really good." Zelda replied.

"You look like you're doing a terrible job." Link told her.

"Oh as if you could do any better. Besides, what do you know of stitching?" She said, breaking the string with her teeth before tying the knot.

"There." She stated proudly, holding it up for Link to see. "It's as good as new."

"If your new isn't too good," Link laughed before saying sympathetically, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding it looks fine Zel."

"Oh go fall off your loftwing." She teased back at him.

Link decided to take a bath and head to bed, as Zelda would be doing the same soon and he really had no reason to stay up late when she was asleep.

"Well, see you tomorrow." Link said, bidding Zelda a goodnight. He knew she'd wake him up in the morning, bright and early, so he wanted to get as much sleep as he could now.

"Yep!" She replied happily. "See you then!"

And with that, Link left and retired for the night.

* * *

**A/N: I know this chapter might have been kind of boring. I really just wanted the reader to experience a typical day for Zelda and Link in Skyloft. But don't worry, more exciting stuff will come. I can't wait to do the next few chapters (like the Wing Ceremony). So bear with me, and as always, feel free to review. **


	4. Chapter 4: Legends

For what felt like the thousandth time in his life, Link woke up to the sound of his creaking door, with a hand holding a candle pushing through the crack.

"Psst. Link," Thirteen-year-old Zelda whispered. "Link get up, you have to see this." She persisted.

Link moaned and rolled over.

"Not again." He complained.

"No seriously," Zelda whined.

Link sighed and began to sit up. Zelda threw his shirt at him since he had apparently thrown it off in his sleep sometime in the night. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up, falling to the ground yet again. Link only scoffed at her and, in return, pulled her up. She nearly fell forward this time at the momentum of his pull, and her head slammed into his.

"Oww," Link complained dryly.

"Oh hush. Come here, I want to show you something." Zelda's tone was more serious than her typical adventurous-night-wandering one, and Link could tell. Zelda took her candle in one hand, and Link's hand in the other. She slid through the door, Link following pursuit, and the two silently made their way to the Headmaster's office.

Zelda placed the candle down, using it to light two more in the room. When she was satisfied with the visibility, she ran over the wall of books. Almost animal like, Zelda climbed up the bookshelves, needing only centimeters of space to place her feet or hands. Link wondered how she had become so good at it. But, then again, she probably did this often when no one was awake. Contentment was never one of Zelda's strong suits. She always wanted to know more.

When Zelda had reached the top corner of the shelves, she pulled out a book. It was old and brown, with mildew growing on the cover. She tucked the book under her arm, and gracefully hopped down off the shelf, not making a sound. She landed with her knees bent, hands in between them, mimicking a frog.

_Not frog, necessarily._ Link thought to himself. _She's too graceful to look as awkward as a frog. _Link mentally slapped himself. _Wait a second, what are you saying? Where did that come from? _

Link shook his head slightly, confused why such a thought came into his head. Or rather, why it felt so wrong to think such. He continued having an inner conversation, Zelda all the while oblivious to the weird look on his face. She was too intrigued by the book, flipping through pages and blowing dust out of her way. It wasn't until she sneezed lightly that Link snapped back into reality. He hoped Zelda hadn't read his thoughts like she usually did.

"Look at this," she whispered.

She didn't.

Only then did Link notice the humongous book Zelda was flipping through, and the ancient paintings in its pages. Paintings of creatures Link had never seen before, and paintings of landscape, far more different than that of Skyloft. The land seemed to go on forever. He was indeed fascinated at the pictures. But it wasn't until Zelda spoke that he began to avert the legendary tales within the texts.

"These old texts. They talk about a place under the clouds. I _knew_ it wasn't just barren under there. I knew there had to be something! Isn't this exciting, Link? There's a whole other world down there called the Surface!" Zelda's voice slightly rose with her excitement, causing Link to grow apprehensive, for a number of reasons.

"You're still thinking about what's below the clouds?" He asked her, almost parent-like.

"Well…yeah." She responded, calming down a little bit.

"Zel, you know we can't ever know the answer to that. Our loftwings won't fly through the cloud barrier, and we can't just fall down there. Besides, it's dangerous, and unknown. These texts are ancient, there's no telling what it's like now." Link tried to sound consoling, but it didn't work. He sounded more like a parent squashing the imagination of a child. And all it did was irritate Zelda. Enough to the point where she didn't even attempt to retaliate.

"I suppose you're right," she answered, her voice sounding hollow. "But I still know something is down there, and it's just waiting to be discovered."

Link restrained himself from rolling his eyes, knowing it would infuriate her. Apparently what he told her didn't dowse her interest in the surface. Zelda closed the book and reluctantly put it away, ever mindful of being swift and silent. Link noted her stealth.

_That's going to either kill her or save her one day_, he thought to himself.

After returning the book, Zelda blew out the other two candles. She took her candle and opened the door for Link. He went out before her, watching as she locked the door back so no one would notice their entrance.

"I'm going back to bed," Zelda said, yawning right afterward.

"Alright, me too. Good night Zelda." Link replied, trying to sound normal.

"Good night." And with her bidding adieu, Zelda silently went back to her room, taking her candle with her.

Link was left alone in the dark to navigate back to his room. It wasn't hard though. He had lived here since he was five, and knew every inch of the building.

When Link was back in his bed, he tossed for a while, which was extremely out of character for him. He never had trouble sleeping. But the thought of Zelda attempting to reach the surface worried him.

_She would never do that. Everyone has a little bit of fear. Even her. We will both stay right here. _And with that thought, he fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was a little shorter. Funny how Zelda wants to see that surface so bad. Anyway, I know the beginning has been a little slow, but I'm almost there. And I know I've been saying that for a while as well. But I'm FOR REAL this time. The next few chapters are when it gets good. Gosh I just love Zelda and Link. Hope you guys enjoy my story. Feel free to leave some more reviews, such as what you want to see next or what I should include more of. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5: Confused

The morning sun was high and the air was crisp and warm. Fifteen-year-old Zelda ran down the stairs, still in her nightgown, to wake up her best friend. She sneaked through the door, shutting it silently behind her. Usually Zelda woke him up by either pulling him out of bed or whacking him on the head. This morning, however, she decided to try something new she had seen Karane do to Pipet.

Zelda stood at the foot of Link's bed and slightly pulled the covers out from under the mattress. She began to slowly roll them up until Link's toes barley stuck out of the blanket into the cold air. She knew Link hated for his feet to be uncovered. He subconsciously pulled his feet back under the covers quickly. Zelda restrained herself from laughing and continued rolling up the covers ever so gently. Link consistently kept pulling his feet up until his knees were almost to his chin.

Finally, he began to awaken at the constant moving of his covers. His eyes fluttered open to the blue-eyed beauty staring at him with the biggest grin.

"Zelda! What's the big idea?" He moaned at her through sleepy eyes.

"Wow, you're flexible," was her only response.

"Oh shut up. Just when I start to think I've got you figured out…" He said, trying to sound annoyed, but nothing Zelda did ever annoyed him.

_There you go again with sentimental thoughts like that_, he thought silently. He had been doing that more often lately. Thoughts about how pretty Zelda's hair was no matter the condition it was in, and thoughts about how funny she could be or how he looked up to her for many things, crossed his mind more and more frequently.

"What's with your nightgown?" He asked her, trying to get his mind off the subject, and from purely noticing that the once three-quarter length sleeves had been cut into short ones.

"Oh I got tired of the sleeves always being in my way," she said nonchalantly.

"…So you just cut them off?" Link asked amused.

"Yep." She replied as if the question were a useless one.

"I'll never fully understand you." He remarked.

"No probably not." She agreed, and took his hand. "You're going to be late for breakfast again. And you know Mrs. Henya won't be happy about that."

"Yes I know, Mother." Link told her teasingly.

He got up as Zelda had told him and put on a shirt while listening to Zelda talk about how inconvenient three-quarter length sleeves were and how they wouldn't stay pushed up on her arms (because her arms were too skinny) and how she eventually just cut them off and re-stitched the seam.

The two made their way to breakfast again, filling their stomachs before beginning their free day.

"What should we do today?" Link asked her.

"We should swim for sure, it's perfect weather. Then we can go flying, my hair will dry quicker." Zelda responded.

"Oh, well we can't have wet hair," Link jokingly said, making his voice sound much too girly.

"I forbid you to ever use that voice again." Zelda said trying to suppress her smile.

Link continued to talk as girly as possible, asking Zelda annoying questions and commenting on his hair and outfit, making her laugh for an eternity.

"No, no this has got to stop, you're all too good at this." She said still giggling.

Link chuckled to himself standing up to take both his and her plates to the bucket of dirty ones. Zelda thanked him and stood up to leave. Then she and Link thanked Henya for breakfast and exited the academy to go swimming. Henya watched the two go from out the window, as she did every day. She watched Link nudge Zelda with his shoulder, and Zelda nudge back harder.

"They are inseparable," she mumbled to herself.

Link and Zelda swam for about an hour before lying in the grass letting the sun warm their skin.

"Ready to go flying?" Zelda ask after a moment of silence.

"Sure!" Link responded earnestly. He was always ready to go flying. Seeing the opportunity to tease her slightly, Link stood up and extended his hand to help her up, before adding,

"Although, my hair might dry funny from being all blown back. Maybe I should go back to my room and dry it off first, I hate it when I get fly-aways." He was already laughing before he had even finished.

"That's it," Zelda said, and before Link knew what she was doing, she already had pushed him to the ground, beginning to pin him down as usual. Only this time Link pushed back and managed to out strength her. He rolled her over quite easily, straddling her and pinning her shoulders to the ground before counting to ten.

"Since when have you been able to do that?" Zelda asked him, shocked at the strength she didn't know he possessed.

"Growth spurt!" He responded, only about a foot from her face.

Realizing the position they were both in, the pair got awkwardly silent.

"You know, that was a rather unladylike thing to do, Zelda." Link said much more quietly now, almost, in a way, flirtatiously.

The comment made Zelda's face start to turn red. She used the opportunity of his vulnerability to push him off of her rather hard.

"Yeah, and it was much TOO ladylike of you to know what fly-aways are," she replied, thankful that she had found something to say back.

Link noticed her faint blush and found it slightly amusing. _Kind of cute_, he thought. _Oh my goodness, what are you saying? Get ahold of yourself. It's Zelda._

Zelda brushed herself off and giggled a little. She looked for the nearest platform to dive off of.

"Race you there," she said, pointing. And before either one had said go, they simultaneously took off. Zelda dove head first off the platform in a rather gutsy, yet graceful manner. Link preferred to use the surface area the goddess gave him and spread out more. Both whistled for their loftwings and were flying side by side within a few moments.

Link flew ahead of Zelda on his bright crimson loftwing, spinning and gliding as one with his bird. Zelda watched in amazement, as he seemed weightless for endless amounts of time. She too, was an expert flyer, considering her father was the head of the academy, she should be the best. But there was something about Link and his loftwing. He was able to merely think of what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go, and his loftwing would respond with exact precision and poise. He was the epitome of free on his bird.

Zelda momentarily wished she could feel that free. She wished to know more, to explore more and to do more. Sure, she and Link had flown around for the past five years and discovered many small sky islands, but never enough to satisfy her. She started feeling as if she were ungrateful for what she had, and dismissed the matter in her mind.

Link noticed her staring but thought nothing of it, as she usually became bewildered with his skill on a loftwing. Zelda was easily excited about most things though. Such as watching him play around with a sword in the sparring hall. She even let him teach her a few things, which was extremely uncharacteristic for Zelda. She didn't want to be taught, she preferred to figure things out herself. Which was both a blessing and a curse in Link's opinion, although he did admire that particular feature of hers.

In a moment, Zelda flew up next to him and the two begin to chat and race and play in the sky, just like every other day of their lives together. The hours flew by. Eventually, they went back to Skyloft, deciding it was time to give their birds a rest. And that it was time for a snack.

After diving to Skyloft, they headed to the dining hall, meeting up with Pipet, Karane, and Fledge. The five friends talked about how they spent their day off from class and other subjects, such as Groose and his annoying commentary during class the previous week. Fledge chimed in about Groose making Cawlin and Stritch move their wall to give him a bigger room.

Groose had always bullied the other students at the academy. Except Zelda, which no one noticed particularly. She was always with Link, and Groose had a vendetta against him.

Link got up from the table to return to his room. His friends inquired as to where he was going.

"To study." He said casually.

"Study the backs of your eyelids?" Zelda jeered sarcastically, making the others laugh, including Link.

"Maybe!" Link answered with a smile on his face. "But I thought I might read some, or maybe carve something, I don't know!" He tried to sound as if that were really his plan.

"Well sweet dreams." Zelda said back to him as she and Karane got up and left the dining room.

Back alone in his room, Link felt like he could think. He couldn't think about such around Zelda, she'd read his mind for sure. And it could make things weird for them, which was the last thing he wanted. Link sat on his bed with his chin in his hands. What was wrong with him lately? More and more, he'd catch himself looking at Zelda. He'd watch her looking up at a full moon, and watch her bright blue eyes sparkle in its reflection. He noticed more things about her, like the way she would laugh or the way her lips would move to one side of her mouth when she was puzzled. He liked how her hair was so beautiful. It had been the same ever since she was little, but he never grew tired of looking at it. It was a golden color, but not yellow. It was long, all the way down to the small of her waist. Which was small itself.

Somewhere along the way she had hit puberty and he hadn't noticed until recently. Her legs were long, which he tried to tell himself he only knew because she had the same stride as him. He refused to accept the fact that he had actually taken a split second to look at them when she wore her adorable nightgown. Her waist was tiny and thin. Her face was beautiful too. Heart shaped and soft and pale. Her jawbone shadowed her neck. It protruded slightly, just like her collarbone. When had he noticed all of this? The more Link thought about it, he realized just how much of Zelda he HAD noticed. She was beautiful. Anyone who looked at her knew that. And all this time, Link thought he was only looking at his best friend realizing how pretty she was to be proud of her, like a brother would be his sister.

Until now.

_Do I actually like her?_ _Liking your best friend is probably the worst thing to do. _

_But that's just it, _he told himself. _She is my best friend. She knows me better than anyone else I know. She can finish my sentences, she reads my mind, she defends me whenever I look stupid, she helps me, and she's always there for me. She gave me comfort when my parents died. She gave me everything I didn't have. Friendship, hope, a home, family. _

Then the next thought hit him.

_Love. She gave you love when there was no one left to give it to you. _

The words "love" and "Zelda" had never really been in the same sentence in his mind. Sure, he loved her. He'd loved her all his life, but he hadn't been IN love with her. Suddenly the word love became very confusing and seemed to have thousands of different meanings. And Link wasn't interested in deciphering them at the moment. So instead, he covered up in his sheets, and attempted to lull himself to sleep with the lullaby Zelda sang to him oh so many years ago.

* * *

**A/N: SO MUCH WRITER'S BLOCK. I hadn't been able to decide how I would go about this. For all I know I'll hate it tomorrow and change it up. So, sorry :3 Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one will be the day of the Wing Ceremony. (The dread...) so yeah, I'm finally done with the pre-Skyward Sword stuff. Bear with me! Hope you all liked this chapter and like my story so far. Review! Anyway, until next time, byeeeeeee.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Last Morning

The most anticipated day of the year had finally come. The day Link would participate in the Knight Academy's famous Wing Ceremony.

Sixteen-year-old Zelda awoke just as the sunlight hit her window. It had been particularly hard to sleep that night, considering she couldn't get her mind off of the events that would take place today. Zelda, giddier than she had been in quite some time, prepared herself for the day.

_Giddy. That's a stupid word_, she thought amongst herself. But it was true. She couldn't hide her excitement for the day, and all the surprises it would hold. Zelda stretched and made her bed. She did the very few chores in her room that needed to be finished before the day started, as she was extremely compulsive.

Satisfied with her tidiness, Zelda finally donned her Goddess dress, which was to be her attire since she would be playing the roll of the Goddess. After slipping on her dress and synching up her numerous belts, Zelda began working on her hair. She tied up the front layers with pink and green ribbons, leaving them dangling just below her broad shoulders. Then, she tied up the very tips of her hair, in matching ribbons, leaving it swaying across her lower back.

When she had decided all was ready, she looked at the sailcloth she had hand stitched for the special day. She had been up late the night before, hurrying to get it done. It was unlike her to procrastinate, but she couldn't decide what color she had wanted the symbol of the lofting to be on the sailcloth. She went with a pale blue, resembling the sky.

Zelda picked up the sailcloth and admired her handiwork momentarily before donning it. She wrapped it over her shoulders and tied it behind her back, leaving it looking much like a shawl.

By the time she was done preparing herself, the morning sun had already risen well into the sky. The residents of Skyloft were already beginning their day. The blankets were taken off the doors of the Bazaar, and the villagers were already bustling around the Plaza. Zelda took her harp out of her wardrobe and set out for the Statue of the Goddess.

Though, as she reached her door, she stopped. She debated on whether or not Link would remember to meet her there like he had promised her the day before. Typically, Zelda would go drag him out of bed herself, but she didn't want him to A) be half asleep when he first saw her new outfit and B) see her without the proper setting. Being dressed as the goddess wouldn't be nearly as cool just sitting in his room as opposed to under the actual Statue of the Goddess.

After debating with herself much too long, Zelda finally decided to just write him a quick reminder.

She took out her stationary and wrote a note in beautiful calligraphy. Pleased with the appearance of her letter, she wrote Link's name. On the back she signed it only with a decorative Z.

Zelda made her way to the Statue of the Goddess, finally. She avoided being seen by anyone, as she wanted Link to be the first to see her that morning. When she reached her destination, her loftwing flew down to greet her under the statue. She handed the letter to it and watched as it flew away, knowing exactly where to take it.

_Darkness. That's all that surrounded him. The only illumination appeared to be radiating from him. Apprehensive about his surroundings, Link looked around. Suddenly, a shrieking roar tore through the silence and what microscopic traces of peace he had. A monstrous beast rose from out of the ground, with tendrils of evil coming off of it like steam. The beast opened its hideous mouth and Link could see an enormous red tongue hiding behind rows upon rows of giant teeth. _

_ He stumbled back, frozen with fear at the creation he had no idea could ever be made. Just when he thought he was about to be devoured by the beast, a piercing pink light shot into the air. _

_"Rise Link…" It spoke out. "The time has come for you to awaken." The voice was uneven in tone and seemed rather calming. Link only continued to stare. The light, or one behind it, spoke again._

_ "You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you… the time has come for you to awaken… Link…" _

_ The roars continued to escape the monster's mouth, but they became distorted and screechy, almost familiar. The roars diminished and Link continued to look around, confused as to where the screeching was coming from. He turned his head and his eyes met the green and purple one's of Zelda's loftwing. _

Link awoke with rapid speed suddenly, sending him plummeting out of bed. His right arm and right leg remained entangled in his sheets. He only stared up at the ceiling, regaining his consciousness. With each second that passed, Link's fear and apprehension faded as he realized he had only yet again been dreaming.

Remembering his company, Link looked up at Zelda's loftwing. It only stared at him, cocking its head while waiting on him to get up. When he stayed out, the loftwing spit Zelda's note at him, hitting him directly in the forehead before leaving his window, sending periwinkle feathers flying about.

Link looked at the envelope, noticing the hot pink Z on the back. It was from Zelda obviously, but why with such decorum? Link opened the letter to find out what the one he held dear had written.

_Hey sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep in so I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? _

_ Rise and shine Link! Today's the Wing Ceremony! You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You'd better not keep me waiting. _

_-Zelda_

Link smiled at her remark, and at the thought of her being that excited to see him that morning. Scratching the back of his head, he folded the letter, and tucked it away in his desk drawer full of other letters she had written him over the years.

He darted out of his door excitedly, ready to see his best friend. However, along the way, Professor Owlan, who needed help fetching Zelda's pet remlit, stopped him momentarily. Link couldn't refuse to help him, so he climbed the academy and retrieved her. Eager to get to the Statue of the Goddess before Zelda gave up and left, Link sprinted up the stairs. Upon reaching the top, her could see her standing with her back towards him through the door to the prayer circle.

Link walked in, not wanting to startle her. He was stopped by a beautiful sound, accompanied by the sweetest voice he'd ever heard.

_Oh youth, guided by the servant of the Goddess_

_ Unite earth and sky_

_ Bring light_

_ To the land…_

Zelda's voice sang in a soft, high tone as she gently plucked the strings on her golden instrument. She hadn't heard him enter, and Link was fixated on not disturbing her.

She was garbed in a dress Link had never seen before, making her look beautiful from any angle possible. Decorative belts hung from her hips and her hair was slightly swaying as she played. Link was so awestruck momentarily by her beauty that he didn't even notice the grin that spread across his face.

He approached her when he heard her slow her playing indicating she had finished her song. Zelda glanced over her shoulder, hearing Link's boots tap the stone beneath his feet. He could see her smile, even from behind. She spun around to face him quickly, making her hair swing gently.

"Hey! Good morning, Link!" She said, genuinely excited to see him.

"Morning!" He responded, trying to snap himself out of the trance she had put him in.

"I'm glad to see my loftwing got you out of bed. I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning." She replied, wearing the same look as she always did when she knew she was right.

"Are you kidding? I haven't slept in since I arrived at Skyloft because _somebody_ always insists on waking me up!" He retaliated back, laughing slightly.

Zelda merely rolled her eyes, knowing the statement was fairly true.

"Well, anyway. Look at this instrument! And look at this outfit! They're mine to use today for the ceremony since I'll be playing the roll of the Goddess." She told him for the thousandth time, as if he didn't already know. Her playing the roll was the main reason he was so determined to win today.

"Aren't the beautiful?" Zelda continued, "Especially this instrument! They tell me it's just like the one the Goddess was said to have in the legends."

Link remembered back to the night he and Zelda had read the ancient texts. He recalled the object the Goddess was depicted to have in her hands during the war.

"It sounds gorgeous too. I asked Father about it. He said it's called a harp," Zelda said, continuing on in her explanation. Link looked at the harp in amazement, it was quite beautiful.

"And look at these clothes! This is the wrap I made that we get to use in today's ceremony. Between the harp and the outfit, I'm going to make a great goddess today!"

Link looked at Zelda with a smile on his face. It always brought him joy to see her so ecstatic about something. Zelda continued talking to fill the silence when Link was only staring at her.

"I got you up early this morning because I wanted you to be the first to see me, Link. So… how do I look?" She ask the question sincerely, taking a quick spin to display her attire.

"Great!" Link responded without a moments thought.

Zelda smiled at the lack of hesitation in his voice.

"Thank you," she replied.

The two stared at each other momentarily. Link noticed their habit of doing so more lately. In a way, it made him nervous. For the first time since he'd known her, he recently wouldn't have anything to say to Zelda. He could merely only stare at her. Usually, she was the one to lead a conversation anyway. Or anything. She was his leader.

It was her father's voice that interrupted the two of them from their staring.

"Ah, there you are Zelda. All ready for today's ceremony?"

"Oh, hello Father. Yes sir, I am," she responded sweetly.

"Ah, Link, you're here too. Outstanding. It's encouraging to see you up so early, given your capacity for sleep," he joked. "No doubt today's ceremony had you too excited to close your eyes for once!"

_Not really…_ Link said in his own mind. But he only nodded to the headmaster.

Her father continued. "If you win today's race, you'll get to participate in the postrace ritual with Zelda, so give it your best shot out there." The headmaster winked at Link. He blushed slightly, hoping Zelda didn't notice. Why would he wink at him anyway? Still, Link couldn't help but continue smiling. He looked over at Zelda, who's head hung low with despair and worry.

"Yes, about that…" Link stared at her through worried eyes. What was she about to say?

"Father, I don't know if he can do it!" Link winced at her having such little faith in him.

"He hasn't been practicing much at all for the ceremony. And even when he's out riding his loftwing, he's just lazily gliding around, probably daydreaming!"

Link looked at her puzzled. She was extremely out of character today. Her being excited about the harp and the dress were one thing. But now she seemed to worry about his capability of winning the ceremony, when she knew better than anyone else the connection he had with his loftwing. She was acting, frankly, more like a girl than he'd ever known her to be.

Zelda had continued to be talking about his incompetence, but Link was too busy studying her mannerisms and tone of voice. In fact, it made him uncomfortable seeing her act this way. When Zelda was upset, Link, more than likely, had a reason to be upset as well, but not about this matter.

Link snapped out of his stupor by the sound of Zelda's father telling her to calm down. He silently thanked him.

The headmaster continued talking about loftwings and Link's special connection with his own, something Link already knew about. He looked up at the sky, listening to her father recall the day his crimson loftwing descended.

Link looked up to the sky, searching for his loftwing. But all he received was an empty feeling. He waited for his bird but nothing happened. He became apprehensive and anxious. He had never experienced this feeling of loneliness with his other half. Where was his loftwing?

Before he knew what was happening, Zelda already had his hand and was pulling him towards the diving platform behind the statue. She was saying something about him practicing.

Zelda swung him to the edge, leaving Link trying to regain his balance before falling into the abyss.

"Go on now, jump off and call your loftwing! It's almost time for the ceremony, so try to practice seriously for once, okay?"

Link's heart fell in his stomach. He desperately tried to make her slow down to listen to him.

"Zelda! Wait, he's not out there. I can't sense my bird, he's gone!"

"Oh yeah, sure, like your bird would _actually_ go missing. You're just trying to weasel out of practice!" Zelda continued to move around him, causing him to lose his balance more.

"No, Zelda, seriously," Link pleaded.

"Off you go!" And with her command, Zelda pushed him off the platform.

Link flipped himself over to face the island, not wanting to view the cloud barrier getting closer and closer. He stared up in despair, watching it grow smaller. With each foot he fell, he became more and more hopeless.

Suddenly, a flash of something went through his brain. A scene. A woman. The flash happened through his mind again and again, each time revealing more than before. Dark hair, a purple dress, a pale hand extending up to him slowly, falling, until suddenly gone.

Link felt his breathing become irregular until he suddenly couldn't breath. His mind became foggy and the only thing he could think to do was shout her name.

"Zelda!" He screamed in terror for his best friend, the one he looked to when he was in trouble. His safety net when he needed someone.

"Something's wrong!" Zelda cried to her father in fear, just before she dove off the platform headfirst, gaining velocity with every second trying to reach her best friend.

Link felt a harsh jerk in his fall, and a pulling on his shirt. He looked up to see Zelda skillfully pulling up on her loftwing.

"Hang in there, Link! I've got you!"

He immediately thanked the Goddess for her. And for her bravery and her skillful flying. He felt Zelda's loftwing struggle due to the extra weight. He prayed they would reach the island before it gave out.

Just as they hovered over the island, Zelda's loftwing gave out, hitting the ground. Link rolled over trying to catch his breath. Zelda did the same. They both lied on the ground, their chests expanding with air rapidly. Zelda's loftwing made a sad screech as it was in pain.

"I'm sorry, friend. I didn't mean to push you too hard." Zelda patted her loftwing tenderly.

Gaepora ran over to the two teens, looking back and forth between them trying to decipher who needed more attention.

"Are you two alright?" He asked in panic.

Zelda just continued petting her loftwing, not wanting to look at either of them out of shame. Link lay sprawled on his back, trying to catch his breath and regain his sanity.

"This is very odd, Link. What could have happened to your loftwing? For a bird to ignore the call of its master…it's unheard of!" Gaepora said aloud, just as confused as Link and Zelda. He turned to face him. "And you still can't sense your bird out there, eh, Link?"

Link shook his head, still shaken by the incident.

"This is quite a problem, especially since the Wing Ceremony is about to start…"

Zelda continued looking only at her bird. She wished for her presence to be ignored, but she couldn't let Link run off (his usual reaction to anxiety) without apologizing.

"Link…" she searched for words to continue, "When you said you didn't sense your loftwing…well, I should've believed you. I'm…I'm sorry." She looked at him briefly, long enough for him to see the sincerity in her eyes. She looked as if though she were about to cry.

_So uncharacteristic…_ he thought inwardly. He tried to force a smile to reassure her he wasn't upset. Which he wasn't, although indeed shaken, he refused to blame it on her.

"I need to tend to my own loftwing, so I'll catch up with you later," she finished.

Just at that time, the bell atop the academy began to chime, indicating the time.

"My how did it get to be so late?" Gaepora asked. "If I remember correctly, Instructor Horwell is presiding over the ceremony. Link, you should go explain the situation to him and see if he is willing to delay the race a little so that you can find your bird."

Zelda chimed in, attempting to sound fairly normal.

"But Father, you're the headmaster of the Academy. If Link asks Instructor Horwell, he'll probably just come talk to you about it," she advised.

"Ah, quite true. As usual, you make an excellent point my dear. Very well, I'll talk to Instructor Horwell myself about it. Run along Link, and tell him to meet me in my quarters."

Link did as the headmaster said, and then began the search for his bird. After taking lead after lead, and being ask about a thousand times if he was okay or why he was so pale, Link was finally pointed to the plaza.

Upon walking up to it, he noticed Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch, all gathered around. Cawlin and Stritch appeared to be massaging Groose, for whatever reason, and talking about something.

Link walked up, unintentionally eavesdropping on the conversation. But upon hearing, he began to listen intently.

"…You know, Groose, all that pecking and scratching sure was a real pain."

"Course it was," Groose answered. "You think a big crimson loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight?"

Link stopped dead in his tracks. He knew there was something suspicious about Groose and his gang not being present all morning. Typically, on a day like today, Groose would be bulling Link to no end.

"But we got him," Groose continued. "And I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen any time soon boys."

Link ran up to the three of them, not knowing what he was going to say really, but he wanted them to know he had heard.

_What would Zelda say to them?_ He thought.

Just as he had approached them, Groose stood up, stretching. The other two boys turned around just in time to see an angry Link glaring at them.

Groose turned around and jumped back, genuinely stunned by Link's presence.

"Whoa! Link! So uh… yeah, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you caged my bird." Link replied, his fists clenched in anger.

Groose continued as if he hadn't heard the boy.

"What's your problem anyway? Oh wait…I've got it. You're here to talk to me about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours. They're pleading, 'Oh, Groose, can you please find it in your heart to let me win today? Please?' You're just desperate to win so that you can get some alone time with Zelda on top of the Statue of the Goddess at the end of the ceremony."

_Alone time? What is he talking about?_ Link was almost humored at Groose's ridiculousness. He tried to hold in a snicker. Then Groose continued.

"Sorry pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second."

He paused for a while before asking the dumbest question Link had ever heard.

"…Say, come to think of it, how come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of red feathers? I can't imagine what could have happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?"

Link paused with amazement.

_Is he seriously trying to play dumb right now?_

"Give. Him. Back." Link enunciated every syllable in attempt to demonstrate his frustration.

"Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Groose continued his childish façade, making Link want to throw up.

Link wasn't a fighter. Zelda was the fighter; she was the brave one willing to risk everything to stand up for Link, and then herself. She was the defensive, quick one. Usually she could spat come backs that could shut up anyone, even Groose.

In the short amount of time Link was thinking about this, Groose used the opportunity to continue his rampage.

"You know, we are all getting tired of you never letting anyone forget you and Zelda go way back," he said, jabbing a finger in Link's confused face.

"You've been friends since you were kids? Big. Deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float around life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud."

"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?"

_Thank goddess, there she is._

"Oh, hey best friend," Link said, purposefully making an attempt to throw an insult at Groose.

Zelda marched passed him, ignoring his greeting. She shoved him behind her with one arm before lighting into Groose, jabbing her finger in his face. Groose struggled trying to come up with an explanation for his words, but it was no use.

"Don't even try it, Groose. You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, like of us. Why do you insist on bulling him around so much?"

Link could tell Zelda was trying to restrain herself from letting out a string of names to call him, or even punch him. She was mature in her arguments though and she refused to be unladylike.

Groose stared at her, shocked about the sudden turn of events. But suddenly his eyes glazed over and he began look at her with a weird expression on his face that Link had never seen him have before.

"Yeah… I uh, suppose I…" He stumbled over his words looking at the beautiful blonde in front of him.

"You 'suppose'? Suppose what?" Zelda looked at him, genuinely confused and, frankly, repulsed.

"I…suppose…you…err…" Groose's failed attempt at talking made Link sick to his stomach with hatred and protectiveness towards Zelda.

Groose snapped out of his lust-struck trance and decided to end the conversation.

"Pft. Forget it. I wasn't supposing anything okay?" He yelled at the two before turning to leave.

Once he reached the platform, he turned his arrogance back on full blast.

"Okay, we're outta here boys. Later, Link. Hope you find your bird, or you're gonna have to sit out in today's race, and _that_ could be a major setback towards knighthood. So find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure. It's your special flavor."

And with a ridiculous looking wave, Groose jumped off the platform, Stritch and Cawlin following close behind, and they flew away on their ugly colored loftwings.

Zelda moaned at their immaturity, watching them go before turning to Link.

"You know, I hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure those blockheads had something to do with your loftwing's disappearance," Zelda said. She hated to assume the worst in people, as her nature was to look for the best in everyone.

"You don't say," Link replied. "I heard them say they put him in a pen."

"Well then, let's start looking," Zelda stated.

"I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can find any trace of your bird."

Link thought of another question to ask before she took off.

"But what about the—"

"Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find your bird in time."

Link smiled at his companion. Good ole Zelda. She always knew what to do.

"Thanks, Zel."

Zelda smiled at him in return before jogging off the platform and flying away on her bird. Link watched her momentarily as she flew off.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I made some changes. So for the (like 5 people) that read it before, I changed it minorley. This is why I love getting reviews because things that I already know about the characters in my head, the reader might not know. So I adjusted it a little. Also after reading a review, I know Link is pretty, like The Supreme said, spineless in this chapter. But honestly, I wanted to make him a rather meek person at first. Link is not the type to be a hero, he's a quiet, easy going person who really doesn't ever get mad. And upon being picked on, he doesn't really know how to handle it because of his lack of care, if you will. So that's why he's just kinda like "wut" because he just doesn't know what to say. A character flaw I suppose. Ah, the tragic hero. Anyway, I know this chapter was mainly build up and that I didn't even get to the actual Wing Ceremony yet, but I plan on posting that tonight, as I am in the process of writing it now. So feel free to leave any reviews. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Wing Ceremony

After searching for what felt like hours for his bird, Link made his way to the sparring hall to equip himself with a sword before going through the dreaded cave. He received permission from Eagus to take a sword out of the sparring hall to rescue his bird. After talking with Pipet, who convinced Fledge to confess where Groose hid his loftwing, Link headed for the waterfall.

The cave was old, and rarely ever did any of the residents of Skyloft dare to venture into it. But nothing could keep Link from his bird at this point. He slashed through the wooden stakes blocking the entrance, and ran in.

Having to kill a few keese and chuchus, Link finally made his way out of the cave.

Taking only a few steps, he heard Zelda call to him.

"Hey! Link!"

Link stopped and waited for her to hop off of her loftwing.

"I was hoping to find you here. I heard you'd gone searching for your bird by the waterfall, so I thought I'd fly around help you look.

"Thank you! I just ran through the cave, Eagus let me borrow a sword for protection."

"Oh wow, I've always wondered what was in there…" Zelda thought momentarily about abandoning the search and exploring the cave. Link saw the look on her face and stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Zelda, no. You can't go in there right now—"

"I know, I know," she said, cutting him off. "I wouldn't dare leave you searching alone. Speaking of which, how's it going? Any sign of your loftwing?"

Link, grateful that she wasn't going to risk her life to explore something, told her of his uneventful search.

"Oh no. Well, let's not lose hope yet. There's a place up here Groose and his gang are always hanging around. Maybe we'll find something there!"

Just as the pair was about to head out, Zelda stopped. She snapped her head towards the edge of the island, looking down below the clouds. Link stared at her nervously, wondering what she was doing.

"Who's…who's there? Who's calling for me…" She was mumbling in small voice, almost inaudible. Her tone changed briefly, sounding older than she was. Link only watched her cautiously, fearful, for a split second, that she would have the courage to just jump off.

"Zelda? …" He began. And just as quickly as she had entered her stupor, she snapped out of it.

"Oh! Sorry, I got distracted for a minute. Lets go!"

Link and Zelda hurried down the pathway. At the very end, in a small cut out in the cliff, Link's loftwing stood, screeching and pecking at the boards, which held it captive.

"Look! There he is!" Zelda cried, horrified at the sight.

Link ran forward in anger at Groose and terror for his bird, and in a fit of rage he sliced off the ropes, which held the boards up, freeing his bird at last.

Link's loftwing stepped out of his cell, happily squawking in thanks to Link. The bird flapped its wings a few times before completely spreading them out, letting out a giant call of happiness. Link extended his hand to it gently, stroking its feathers. The bird nuzzled his head, messing with Link's hair, before flapping some more. The two teens shielded their faces to the wind it created before it flew off. Zelda ran next to Link, only to watch him run toward his feathery friend. She giggled in excitement, and happiness for Link.

She watched him, temporarily, admiring him while he admired his bird. Quickly, before he noticed, she ran up beside him.

"We should hurry, Link. Now that your loftwing is free, you should fly to the ceremony."

Link nodded at her in response.

"I'm sure the others will be glad to know you—" And she stopped mid sentence. She gazed out over the edge again, just like she had before. She fell silent, and Link studied her as her eyes seemed to look far off, and her soul seemed distant. Transitorily, she seemed to forget his presence.

"Umm, Zelda? Are you…"

"Don't leave yet. Please. I have to ask you something," she interrupted him.

"Sure, anything," Link said, eager to find out what was bothering her.

"I…I heard this voice a few moments ago. Did you hear it too?" She looked up at him, her long eyelashes blinked with confusion, and worry flashed across her eyes.

"Uh, no. No I didn't, Zel." He answered, trying to hide his fear for her complete sanity.

"Oh…never mind then." Zelda looked down at her feet, which were slightly turned inward.

"Are you feeling alright? What's been going on?" Link suddenly became overwhelmed with confusion and demanding an answer to what was wrong with her.

"Zelda what's wrong?" Link grabbed Zelda's shoulders, turning her around to face him fully. He had never done such before.

Zelda was slightly shocked by his physical contact, pulling her rather close to him, eyes dancing back and forth between her own, trying to stare directly into her soul.

Zelda looked at him for what felt like an eternity. Her face slightly turned red by the closeness of Link. But then she heard the call from below the clouds again, distancing her mind from him. Link saw her blush completely reverse into paleness. Her eyes glazed over and hardened as she stared down, trying ever so hard to stare through the clouds. Frustrated with her inability to explain, Link reached up and grabbed Zelda's face, forcing her eyes to meet his. When her deep blue ones stared into his own, he saw the faintness of tears in them.

"It's like…someone is calling out to me," she finally spoke. "It's been happening so much lately, I don't know what's going on."

Link gazed into her frightened eyes, he himself frightened by what she was saying. He momentarily thought back to the strange dreams he had been having. But he dismissed the thought of the two being related.

"Zelda. Listen to yourself now, bud." Link tried to force a small smile for consolation towards her.

"Come now, you know there's nothing down there," he said, desperately trying to get her mind off the surface.

"But there is, Link! I know there is! I have dreams about it, I hear it, I see it, I can feel it, I _know_ there is something down there!" Her voice rose with each word that went by until she was nearly yelling at him. Link took a small step back, dropping his hand.

Zelda stopped and realized her tone of voice. She swallowed hard, blinked, and looked up at Link, forcing composure upon herself.

"Zelda, promise me something." Link's voice was steady and serious, suddenly taking on the form of her parent.

Zelda only looked at him, and for once, she couldn't read him.

"Promise me you'll stay here. Promise me you're not going to do something crazy. Promise me you'll wake me up again tomorrow and everything will be the way it's always been," Link was nearly pleading, feeling his emotion break through with each word.

"Please promise me, Little Bird." His voice was shaky and quiet now.

"I promise," she answered.

"I promise I'll stay here. I'll always be your alarm clock. I'll always be your friend. And I'll always be your Zelda." She said, actually reassuringly. The bright, happy girl returning to her, rapidly replacing the much older, troubled Zelda she had been seconds ago.

The two were about to hug each other when the sound of Link's loftwing screeching brought them back into reality.

"Oh my goodness, your bird! The ceremony! We'd better get going, Link! They're all going to worry!"

Link looked at her, puzzled. Just as he was intensely starting to question her mental state, she grabbed his hand and led him to the platform, just the same as she always had. He had seen her immensely troubled only a few times in her life, but he knew her well enough to know that once he saw her shove her emotion down, there was no way she would drag it back up. Once she swallowed and blinked, Link knew no matter how hard he tried that she wouldn't bring it up again, because she chose not to.

"Look, your bird's waiting for you!" She said, pointing out to Link's crimson loftwing.

Link studied her briefly, noticing that she had changed back into the former Zelda. The real Zelda he knew. She beamed a smile at him, sincerely happy.

"Don't worry about anything, Link. It was just my imagination, as always," Zelda reassured him, laughing a little.

And with that statement, Link squeezed her hand before answering,

"You're right. You've got to learn how to get that crazy thing under control," winking at her.

"I'll try my hardest, egghead." Zelda answered back, and they both jumped off the platform, landing on their loftwings.

_She's probably right,_ Link thought to himself. _It's just her imagination. She said it herself. And she promised me. She promised she was okay and that she wouldn't leave. Zelda never breaks her promises._

Making what he would later decide to be one of the worst decisions in his life, Link dismissed Zelda's strange behavior and flew to the plaza.

He flew around for a while with Zelda, making sure his loftwing was still alright. Once they both decided he seemed normal, the two of them dove to the plaza.

"That's one amazing bird you have there, Link. He seems to be flying great, especially considering what all he's been through today," Zelda commented.

"Of course he is, he's mine," he replied proudly.

"You spoil him you know." Zelda said, smiling.

"As if you don't yours!"

"Fair enough. I'm going to fly back and tell father what happened. Groose and his little posse really should get in trouble for this you know…" Zelda told him.

"Yeah, I know. But let's wait until after the ceremony, please?" Link asked her, wanting to avoid giving Groose any reason to throw him off his loftwing during the race.

"Well, if you say so."

And with that, Zelda waved goodbye to her friend before diving off the platform yet again.

As he watched her fly off, Link heard the thundering footsteps of Groose behind him.

"Well well well, look who it is. Word on the street is you found that scruffy thing you ride on."

Link turned around to face Groose, trying to remain calm. Groose didn't give him a chance to respond.

"Because you and that dumb bird of yours can't tell time, all the practice warm-ups we did were for nothing. Now I'm all stiff." He said, moving his shoulders around.

"Well, don't feel bad," Link started. "I'm sure it really wouldn't have made a difference anyway."

Groose stared at Link with an evil glare. Link rarely responded to Groose's insulting remarks, and when he did, Groose was further riled.

"Oh, would you look at that? The twerp actually spoke. I thought your little brain couldn't function without Zelda around, but it turns out you actually can speak words." Groose narrowed his eyes at Link, getting madder upon thinking about his relationship with Zelda.

"Yeah, I know a lot of 'em. Want to hear some of the one's referring to you?" Link said, with a sly grin spreading across his face and one eyebrow raised.

"Oh don't pretend you're all courageous now, Link." Groose was actually beginning to lose words to say to him, and Link took the opportunity of vulnerability and ran with it.

"And you don't pretend to not know about my loftwing. You think I believed you? You think I don't know it was you?" Words of anger began to pour out of Link's mouth. It was by far the most he had said to Groose all year.

"You crossed a line today, Groose. Picking on me is one thing, but caging my bird up is another. I'm sick of your arrogance, I'm sick of your lies, and frankly, I'm sick of your ridiculous hair."

Cawlin and Stritch snickered behind Groose at Link's last line. Groose shot them a deadly glance, silencing them quick.

"You only think you can talk to me like that because _she_ will come to your rescue!" Groose was completely horrified by Link standing up to him. And Link was horrified by the fact that Groose couldn't seem to stop talking about Zelda.

"Don't think we haven't noticed the smug looks. 'Ooh, Zelda and I are BEST friends, we go everywhere together!' You think you're something special, don't you?"

"Well apparently you do," Link replied, unable to keep the comment in.

"Today's the day I break up your little fantasy land, hot shot. That's gonna be ME up there with Zelda today, you understand? ME." Groose said, frantically pointing at himself for reassurance.

He then turned around, mumbling to himself about the events that would take place after the race with Zelda. The thought of Groose alone with Zelda made Link nauseous. He knew Groose would do something stupid, like try to kiss her. Link was aware he would only get a slap in the face in return, but he did worry about Groose being so quick that he would actually make contact with her.

_You're not going to give him the chance though. You'll win this, for both our sakes. _Link thought to himself, thinking about how horrendous it would be for Zelda as well.

Speaking of which…

"Care to explain just what you meant by, 'Our special moment alone'?" Zelda yelled at him, her expression flat and annoyed, hands placed firmly on her hips.

"What? Oh, umm, I was just telling my buddy Link here how I couldn't wait for today's race." Groose said, clearly lying.

"That doesn't even answer my question," Zelda spat back, before being interrupted by Groose again.

"Well, anyhow, later, Zelda. Look for me during the race. I'll be the one performing all the dangerous stuff." And with a smug grin, Groose marched off, closely followed by Cawlin and Stritch.

"Can you believe him?" Zelda looked at Link, genuinely appalled.

Link just looked at her with wide eyes and shook his head.

"Well, those guys aren't going to fly a fair race, but I know you can do it. Don't you dare let those fools beat you out there." Zelda told him, giving him a firm pat on the back.

"You can do this. Good luck, Link."

"Thank you, Zel." Link responded before heading over to line up for the race.

* * *

Professor Owlan gave the instructions and rules to the race. And before he knew it, Link was dashing off the platform, surprisingly already ahead of the others. He finally grabbed the statuette from the golden bird, successfully evading many eggs thrown at him by Groose and the others.

He held it high, proudly holding it in the air for Zelda to see. He heard her shout his name above him. He looked up just in time to see her diving off the platform, aimed right at him. Link's loftwing knew exactly how much speed to increase by in order to successfully catch her.

Link held out his arms, careful to not let her slip or get hurt. She fell into them fairly hard, and he set her down gently to make sure she was alright, considering she got fairly jostled.

"Don't worry! I'm fine!" She said, looking up to meet his eyes. Her face was so close to his, Link had to lean back to be able to see her.

"Great flying, Link. Congratulations." She smiled at him sweetly, slightly moving her head towards him, looking up. Link, who was rather pleased with Zelda's reaction to him winning, smiled down at her. Her eyes looked exceptionally gorgeous when she was so close to him she was forced to look up, as he was taller than she was.

"We'd better get on with the ceremony," she shouted to him, excitedly.

Link landed his loftwing atop the Statue of the Goddess, the highest point on Skyloft. He looked around a little, fascinated by the view. It wasn't until Zelda spoke that he realized why he was up even up here.

"Link, hand me the Bird Statuette you grabbed in the race. I must offer it to the Goddess," Zelda said, extending her hand. She was all business now.

She took the statuette and placed it in a small alcove, specifically made for such. After positioning it to her satisfaction, like the perfectionist she was, Zelda pulled out her harp and strung the pretty song Link had heard her play that morning. He watched her as she closed her eyes, in her own world, as her long fingers daintily danced across the strings.

As learnt, after she was done, Link gave Zelda his hand, bending down on one knee. Zelda then recited her designated part.

"Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act as your stead in this ceremony."

She then continued, speaking as the goddess herself would.

"Valiant hero who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk…In accordance with the old ways…I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you."

Link heard the rustling of her fabric. He knew she was removing the sailcloth she had talked so much about. He didn't dare look up, as it might be interpreted inappropriately. So, he humbly kept his head down until he heard her sweet voice speak again.

"May the blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail which I now pass on to you."

She held out the sailcloth, perfectly folded. Link stood and gratefully took it from her, slightly bowing out of respect. He held the sailcloth close, noticing the nice smell radiating from it.

"Hmm, smells nice," he teased.

Zelda blushed. "Link, this is supposed to be a sacred ritual, you dork." She attempted to sound stern, but she was smiling.

"Oh right, right. Sorry." He replied, noticing her blush not going away this time.

"You know… they say the goddess gave the sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago." She paused momentarily, deciding if she dare let the next sentence out of her mouth.

"I'm really glad you were my chosen hero again today, Link."

The word "again" bounced around in his mind. It was all he could do not to sweep her off her feet at that moment in a hug. But he didn't.

"Make sure you take good care of that, okay?" Zelda commented, back to her normal self, trying to fill the silence.

Link nodded at her, filled with joy about how his day was changing. About an hour ago, he was distraught, watching his best friend jump back and forth between worlds and realities. And here he was now; with the one he was positive he had more feelings for, listening to her thank him for keeping his promise about winning.

Zelda noticed the way he was looking at her, and how unaware he was that he was doing it.

"Now, we really should finish up the ritual," she finally said, beginning to close the space between them.

_Finish up? By doing what? _Link thought to himself. He could've sworn they'd covered everything.

Zelda continued to move closer, and Link began to get nervous. He took a microscopic step back. She looked up at him slightly.

"You…do know what happens at the end…right?" She asked, almost, dare he say it, flirtatiously.

"Umm…not really." He couldn't think of what to say.

Link looked down at Zelda, who was now centimeters away from his face. She looked up at him innocently. It suddenly occurred to him that all he had to do was slightly tilt his head and bend down before her beautiful lips would be on his. Link felt his heart rate increase, refusing to believe that such a thing would actually happen. Sure, he'd thought about it plenty of times. He'd wanted to do it, he now realized, almost every day of the past year. But never had he imagined to actually do it.

"Well I'm glad to see you're so well informed on the subject!" Zelda laughed, stepping back a little and placing her hands on her hips. Much to Link's dismay, she didn't step closer to him again. She merely spun him around announcing that he had to jump off the statue.

_She totally did that on purpose…_ He thought, disgruntled. Why did she do it? Had she seen through him?

Before he could even give it a second thought, Zelda, for the second time that day, shoved him off the edge.

Link noticed the ground rapidly getting closer, and in terror, he pulled out his sailcloth, coming nearly to an absolute stop.

He landed directly in the center of the courtyard, just as Zelda had instructed him to. He stood up and brushed himself off, turning to see her sliding off of her loftwing.

"That was great! You're amazing, Link!"

Link felt his own face slightly burn. She'd never called him amazing before. Realizing the thought actually escaped her mouth, Zelda slightly paused, trying to figure out a way to cover up her mistake.

Link on the other hand found it adorable. He smiled at her, deciding to fill the silence.

"Thank you, Your Grace," he said, slightly bowing. His referring to her as the goddess made Zelda grin. Her eyes slightly disappeared when she grinned so genuinely, hinting to Link just how much of a compliment it was to her.

"Umm, Link?"

"Yes, Zelda?"

"Seeing as how you won today… and with the weather being so nice and all…think maybe," She stuttered out.

Link already knew what she wanted to do, but he was polite enough to let her finally get out her request.

"…You'd want to go flying around?"

Link smiled in response to her. "Of course I would!"

And soon the pair was off, soaring high on their loftwings.

* * *

Link flew slightly in front of Zelda, as always. He was feeling much more content about the situation with Zelda that had happened earlier, almost forgetting it completely. He let the wind blow his blonde hair out of his face, receiving that free feeling he obtained only on his loftwing. He reached down to pet it slightly. It was Zelda's call that brought him back to the present.

"Hey! Link!"

Link turned around to face her, slightly slowing down his bird.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Today was amazing, watching you win the race and performing the ritual together. I'll always remember this day as being one of my favorite days I have on record. It was really wonderful," she finished.

Link smiled at her sweetly.

"You know, Zel, it was mine too."

Zelda looked up at him, almost sad, as if trying to decide on something. She looked down, her mouth doing that adorable thing where her lips move to one side of her face. She slightly bit her lip, clearly at war with herself internally. Link began to worry again, but before he could ask her, she looked back up at him.

"You know, Link, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Zelda said in a soft voice.

"What's on your mind, Zelda?" Link asked her, trying to maintain his composure, while his mind raced with questions.

_Could this be it? Could she actually have feelings for me back, a perfect girl like that? Has she figured me out? Does she know I'm… _

Link stopped his train of thought.

_I'm… what? In love? Am I in love with her?_

He felt like he couldn't hold in his curiosity much longer. Then he remembered how long it was taking Zelda to answer back. Finally she did.

"Well, I—"

A bright piercing light interrupted her sentence. A loud ripping noise filled the sky. Zelda let out a cry of what sounded like sheer terror. Link watched as Zelda turned her head, looking as if she were in sever pain.

He turned forward quickly, feeling his loftwing struggle suddenly. In front of the two, a massive black tornado appeared from nowhere, swirling with debris.

Link tried to control his bird, but it screeched and pulled back out of fright. He hadn't even noticed Zelda being pulled into the vortex.

"What's going on?" She screamed, partially out of fear and partially because the wind was so loud.

"Zelda! Zelda, hang on!" Link cried out to her, desperately hoping she would regain control soon.

_This can't be happening. Not now. I have to know what she was going to say. I have to tell her I love her. _

"Link! Link, help!" Zelda's cries were raspy, mixed with terror and near tears.

Link dove towards Zelda, reaching out his hand for her to grasp. His loftwing was strong enough to transport them both. He threw himself forward, gripping Zelda's hand tightly, just as she was about to fall.

The wind continued to howl around them, engulfing them in darkness.

"Hang on! Don't let go! I've got you!" Link screamed to her, praying she wouldn't fall. He noticed she had been hit somehow, either by her loftwing or the rocks flying about from the tornado. A slash in the beautiful skin on her face revealed blood as it began to roll down her cheek.

"Don't let me fall, Link! Don't let me die!" She cried, her tears mixing with the blood on her face. And, in that moment, Link saw his mother yet again. Dangling from a hand, just five fingers between life and death.

Link felt an unnatural force pull her down from him. It continued to pull her harder and harder with each second.

"Zelda! Zelda, stop! Please hang on! You have to hang on!" Link called out to her, trying to encourage her to not dare let her hand slip.

Link felt the pull harder. Zelda began to moan as her arm pulled away from its socket. He began to scream jumbled up words somewhere between his mother and Zelda's name, not knowing what he was even saying.

Link heard a snap, Zelda scream, and felt her fingers tear away from his, watching as her body disappeared into the tornado. The last thing she screamed being his name. Link refused to watch her die, determined that if she didn't return home with him, he would die with her.

Link steered his loftwing straight into the vortex of pure evil after her. But just as he launched to it, the unruly force threw both him and his loftwing back into the sky, frantically flying through the air.

Link felt himself falling, and in his last moments of consciousness, he felt almost peaceful.

_I'm falling. Zelda is falling. We are going to fall through the clouds and hit the surface. We will land side by side. And my body will forever lie next to hers. _

* * *

**A/N: Well, here it is finally. The dreadful day of the Wing Ceremony. I really just wrote about whatever popped into my head at the moment, so I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow wishing I had done it completely differently. Whatever though, I want to hurry and upload it. So feel free to leave reviews about this one. Another thing, I know Link was silent in the last chapter when Groose started picking on him. The thing that changed him in this one (incase I didn't really make it clear) was the fact that Groose actually messed with his loftwing. Which is just crossing the line. Like daemons in the Golden Compass books. Like YOU DON'T TOUCH MY BIRD, so yeah, hence his sudden courage to stand up to Groose. Just wanted to point that out there. I know I digressed from the game a little but, I felt like the game didn't have enough emotion in it, so that's why I am even rewriting it in the first place. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it. Soooo on to the next one!**


	8. Chapter 8: Separation

_Darkness surrounded him again. Some sort of strange light reflected off of his body. Link's eyes fluttered open. He was falling. He looked up to see a strange pink light that strangely felt so familiar. A woman stood, no, she flew between him and the light, for it was emanating from her. Link couldn't quite make out what she looked like from afar, but he recognized her voice the instant she spoke._

_"Link…I am waiting for you. The time has come for you to awaken. You are vital to a mission of great importance."_

_Link's eyes fluttered shut again._

_"Link," she persisted._

_Link refused to open his eyes again, until he heard a small moan, not belonging to the strange, flying girl. He knew the voice was Zelda's._

_His eyes shot open to see Zelda above him, falling, what seemed to look like up. Suddenly, everything flipped. She wasn't falling up, nor was she above him. She was falling down, beneath him. Her face was sad and empty, her soul appearing to have already left her body._

_Zelda's hand reached up towards Link. He tried to throw himself towards her, extending his arm as far as possible. But he was slightly too far. Frustration spread through his entire body. He could feel himself screaming, but no sound came out. Instead of his own screams, he only heard Zelda's. Her piercing shrieks rang from every angle, engulfing him in her misery. Link watched as his Zelda, his precious, beautiful Zelda fell right into the mouth of the wretched, giant beast he had seen in his dream just that morning._

* * *

Link's eyes shot open, and he sat up in an instant, causing his head to spin. He gasped for air, and his heart rate was racing. He put a hand to his forehead, feeling a layer of sweat covering it. He looked around, realizing he was in his bed back in the academy, safe.

For a moment, he was relieved, thinking the entire day had been merely a dream. His heart fell to his stomach as he remembered, and realized it was extremely real. His mind raced, recalling what had happened to Zelda: he had won the race; they finished the ritual; they went flying; a tornado appeared…

Suddenly all at once, Link relived the horrific moment of Zelda's death. Her hanging on to his hand for her life, the hand she had held and led so many times, being her lifeline, her blood sliding down her beautiful skin, all raced through Link's memory. He thought of her horrible cries and pleads, begging him not to let her die. Link thought he was going to throw up upon the realization that he had failed her.

She has to be dead. There's no way she survived…

He remembered the snap of her arm, ultimately being what tore them apart. And lastly, her last cry of his name.

Link knew there was more. There was more to the story that he some reason could not remember. What were they talking about? Abruptly, Zelda's sweet voice sprang into his mind.

"You know, Link, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about…"

Link cradled his head in his hands as he remembered the unfinished conversation. He felt his eyes begin to produce hot tears.

It was Gaepora's voice that stopped him.

"Ah, you're awake."

Link had no idea he had been in his room. How long had he been asleep? How did he even get back here? And how long had it taken him to remember what happened?

Apparently it had only taken seconds, as Gaepora was just now noticing he was up. Link turned his attention to him.

"When your loftwing carried you back, you were limp and unconscious. I feared the worst…" Gaepora stated. Link continued to only stare, thanking the goddess for his precious loftwing.

Gaepora continued. "Fortunately, you don't appear to have any serious injuries. For that much, we can be grateful."

Link hung his head in despair, realizing that he would have to be the one to tell Gaepora about his daughter. As if reading his mind, Zelda's father asked him the dreaded question.

"But, Link…"

Link looked up to see tears in her father's eyes, a sight he'd never seen from the stoic man.

"Where is Zelda? She was with you, was she not?"

Link could tell he was trying to restrain himself, as not wanting to overwhelm him, especially considering he could potentially have a number of head injuries. But Gaepora's composition began to slip as he continued thinking of his beloved Zelda.

"What has happened to my daughter?" Gaepora asked him, his words coming out slowly with anguish.

Link inhaled, trying to decide just how to word the catastrophe. He decided that the full truth was best. He began to tell of the whole incident, leaving out the 'Zelda-dangling-for-life' bit. Link didn't want her father to have to live with the same image he did.

Gaepora sat in Link's desk chair, arms folded, and listened intently, not showing as much emotion as Link had expected. He nodded his head ever so slightly, indicating he was listening. When Link had finished, he noticed the tears streaming down his own face.

Finally, Gaepora spoke.

"That tornado was no ordinary storm, my child. That was an evil magic, one not of our world." He often called Link his child, as he was the one to basically raise him. He looked at Link as his own, loving him like a son.

Gaepora stood, placing a hand to his face. He lost himself in thought for what felt like minutes. Link heard him mumbling to himself, and began to question if his mind was working to its full capacity, considering he had just learned of his daughter's disappearance.

Not disappearance, death, Link corrected himself internally.

"Tell me, Link, did anything about Zelda today seem…off?"

Link recalled the conversation he and Zelda had right after finding his loftwing, and mentally kicked himself for dismissing it.

"Well sir, in all honesty, yes." Link answered reluctantly.

"Please, please you must tell me, what did she say?"

Link recapped on the entire conversation. He told of Zelda's strange looks and her obsession with the Surface, and he told of her hearing strange voices in her mind.

"What about you?" Gaepora asked.

Link stopped, confused. Him? He was fine, except for those dreams he'd been having.

"Me sir?" He asked politely. Then he answered hesitantly.

"Well, I've been having strange dreams, dreams of a woman – a spirit looking thing. She keeps saying something about a 'great mission'. And in my dreams, there's a beast: this giant, horrifying beast coming out of the ground."

He stopped before telling Gaepora of his last dream where Zelda was devoured by it.

"This is all very interesting, Link. The two, however, might not be related."

Link's heart fell again. He doubted Zelda's survival, but there was something about having to know. He couldn't just sit there and wonder all of his life what happened to his best friend. Dead or not, he had to find her.

With that thought in his mind, Link grabbed his boots and began putting them on. Gaepora snapped out of his stupor at the sound of Link stirring.

"Hold it, Link. You can't go right now."

It was scary how he could read his mind.

Just like Zelda, Link thought, his heart smiling a bit.

"You're still recovering. You need to rest." Gaepora's tone made Link stop.

"Daybreak has yet to arrive. It would be unlikely that we turn up with anything right now, and it would be dangerous to search."

Link got nauseous upon hearing Gaepora's use of the word "anything".

"Yes sir," was his only response.

Gaepora turned to leave, knowing he wouldn't get any sleep that night. But he made up his mind of a job he had to do.

"Rest now, Link. Zelda will be fine. She's out there alive. I know she is." Deciding it would be best to end on a good note, he left Link alone in his room.

Link couldn't read Gaepora. One minute, he sounded hopeful of his daughter's survival and the next, he sounded as if he too, had given up on believing she was out there.

It was the sound of the strange woman's voice that interrupted Link's daze.

Link stood up, stumbling slightly. He heard the voice again, right outside his door. He raced to the door and threw it open. He couldn't believe the sight in front of him.

A woman, no, a girl, seemingly about his age, floated in front of him. Her skin, hair, and eyes were blue. She clearly wasn't human. She reflected light, all of her body having the same smooth, metallic looking texture. She donned a blue and purple dress, with leggings all the way down to her feet. Her arms were tucked within wing-like sleeves, making her appear armless. She spoke no words.

Link attempted to approach her. However, upon his step, she took off with angelic grace. She flew up the stairs in the academy. Link looked at her briefly. It was so strange seeing this girl from his subconsciousness in the academy, a place of normalcy. The girl only stared at him. She showed no emotion; however, Link felt that she was longing for him to follow her.

He approached her again, watching her race down the hall, nearing the door. When he got there, she merely floated right through it, leaving a trail of light behind her. In awe, Link opened the door and continued following her.

She flew around, guiding him through the lowest lying parts of Skyloft, before flying straight up and out of sight. Link looked up to find a wall of vines. He tugged on them to find they were fairly sturdy. And so he climbed his way up, ever mindful of where he stepped. One slip and he could be falling helplessly yet again for the third time that day.

Once he reached the top, Link pulled himself up to see that he was in the courtyard beneath the Statue of the Goddess. He felt his heart tug upon seeing the circle in the middle, the one that he landed on right before Zelda called him amazing.

Could it really have been just this morning that I was with her? He thought to himself about the morning he'd had with her. He stopped momentarily to relive hearing her sing.

He turned around to see the girl still floating patiently behind him. Once she had his attention, she gracefully flew right into the base of the statue. Link stopped, confused, but before he could question, the outline of a door lit up, and the stone disappeared, revealing a long dark hallway.

Link was amazed, wondering just how much of Skyloft he didn't know.

Zelda would kill to see this, he thought before walking into the darkness, ready to see what awaited him, and hoping he would one day be able to tell Zelda about it.

As Link entered the room, his mouth fell open and his eyes widened. It was completely made of stone. In the corners, large carvings of loftwings stood, clearly thousands of years old. The room was fairly well lit, as there were many torches burning around the room. Most of the light, however, radiated from a sword in the center of the room. The sword was stuck in a pedestal, and a faint sound could be heard from it as it gave off its otherworldly glow. Link stood amazed. He remembered the blue spirit he followed in here, and he noticed her disappearance.

Then he heard an odd chime, and from the sword, the pink light from his dream sprang out of it. There she stood, floating high above him once again. Link looked up at her in amazement. It was the closest she had been to him, and he could finally study her features. She studied him too, for a few seconds, before concluding he had been given enough time to take in the scene.

"The one chosen by my creator," she spoke in her strange voice. "I have been waiting for you. You will play a roll in a great destiny"

Link continued to stare. Realizing he wasn't going to talk any time soon, the spirit continued.

"According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given. I was created for a single purpose, long before the memory of your people. I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry, young hero."

Young hero? I'm no hero; she's got the wrong one, Link thought, refusing to believe he could possibly be the type to carry out a "great mission".

"Come Link…" Fi continued.

"You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by creator, it is your destiny."

Link said nothing. He didn't even move. He only stared at Fi with a somewhat repulsed expression. He began to take a step back; eager to run away and pretend nothing in the past twelve hours had happened. It was Fi's next comment that stopped him.

"The strange dreams troubling your sleep…." She said, firmer this time.

Link stopped, suddenly realizing they were not just nightmares. He was slightly anxious about how Fi even knew such. She continued when she realized she had his attention.

"My sudden appearance, uncertainty surrounding the fate of the one you hold dear; they are all related, are they not? Under the circumstances, it is reasonable for you to exhibit some apprehension. But, to minimize some apprehension, allow me to share some information."

Now we are getting somewhere, Link thought, standing more attentive this time.

"My projections indicate this information has a high probability of altering your current emotional state."

Link's heart rate increased, eager to hear what was next.

"The one you seek, honorable Zelda, is still alive."

He gasped, and felt a smile of relief spread across his face.

"And this spirit maiden, the one you call Zelda, is another one chosen to be a part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you wish to see your friend again, I highly recommend you take up the sword in front of you before you set out to search for her."

Link didn't need to hear anymore. He sprinted toward the sword, with Fi moving out of his way. He stopped for a split second when she was right above him, still not believing she was actually real.

"I see no further persuasive measures will be necessary. In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it skyward."

Link pulled the sword out of its pedestal. He felt the heavy, sturdiness of the sword in his hands. It was a beautiful blade: the handle of it was a light blue, and an ancient gem was embedded right between the handle and the blade.

Link held the sword upward, just as Fi had instructed him to. He felt a surge through the sword, and soon, it lit up even more than before, filled with the strange same light Fi seemed to emit.

Fi stared at Link with what he concluded as satisfaction.

"Recognition complete, Master Link…"

Link stood in awe. Master?

Before he could continue to question more, he heard a familiar voice call to him.

"Link!"

Link spun around to see Gaepora walking toward him.

"I had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure. And yet, here we are, in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place that the youth of legend was foretold to stand."

"Youth of legend?" Link questioned. He had never even heard of such.

Gaepora continued. "It is said that this place was left to us by the Goddess herself. The very knowledge of this room's existence is a secret, passed down for many generations, along with a handful of words."

He started reciting the words foretold thousands of years ago by the goddess.

"When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred."

Link stood speechless, looking back and forth between Gaepora and the sword.

"Link, a few days ago, the sword began to give off a faint, heavenly glow. At first I was sure I was seeing things, here alone with the sword. There was simply no other explanation. I never dreamed the prophecy of legend would come to pass in my lifetime."

Gaepora stopped and looked up at Fi for a moment. It was the first time he'd even acknowledged her presence.

"The words I have kept secret are coming true before my very eyes."

He continued to quote the goddess.

"The one born of the blade—one who is also youthful in likeness, yet wise beyond measurability."

Fi looked at both the men for a while before speaking.

"Ah yes, the oral form of communication. One of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission," she said sounding almost humored, Link thought.

"It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over generations."

Gaepora stood, dumbfounded. He and Link glanced at each other before turning to Fi. She elegantly floated down to where she was eye-level with them before continuing the passage spoken by the goddess.

"The youth who draws the sword shall be the goddess's chosen hero. And it is he who has an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of the great apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall sore over the clouds and plummet below… and, upon being united with the spirit maiden, the two shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."

Link's heart skipped at the mention of the "spirit maiden", Zelda. Suddenly, he heard her voice in his mind, and he was transported back to the time he and Zelda read the ancient texts in the Headmaster's office.

"There's a whole other world down there called the Surface!"

Fi spoke again, snapping him out of his flashback. "Master, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the vast realm of the Surface. It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the great mission set before you by my creator, the goddess. It is also the only method available for you to reunite with the spirit maiden, honorable Zelda."

Link firmly nodded his head and gulped. He would do anything for Zelda, but this task, however, seemed impossible. No one had ever pierced the cloud barrier before, and how else was he supposed to get to the surface?

Fi held out her hands, and a large piece of a tablet appeared magically.

"This tablet will illuminate a path below the clouds to the land below. Take it, and place it within the alter behind me," she commanded.

Link held the tablet in his hands and studied it briefly. It was very old with ancient transcripts written on it. A green jewel was on it, and the stone it was constructed of made it very heavy.

"Master, the first thing you must do is hit the crest above the alter with a Skyward Strike. Charge the blade, and thrust it forward."

Link did as she commanded, and the crest began to glow and float. It was awakened by the strike, making it change from the dull grey metal into a beautiful purplish, pinkish soft crystal. Link then approached the alter, a rectangle cut into the stone in the wall under the crest, and placed the tablet within it.

"Master Link, it is done. A pathway has been opened through the clouds by which you can now reach the surface. I advise you obtain all necessary items before embarking on your journey. I recognize you as my master; therefore I will follow you wherever you may go. I reside in your sword, where I shall stay until you summon me."

Fi jumped in the air and turned into her light before launching into the sword and disappearing.

Gaepora approached Link, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Link, hear me for a moment. The nature of the great apocalypse as mentioned in the old text is a complete mystery to me. But whatever it turns out to be, it seems both you and Zelda have important rolls in the destiny of this land. If what Fi says is true—Zelda is alive! Alive and most likely coming to terms with whatever the goddess has in store for her. Should you heed the call of destiny I don't know what dangers you will have to face, Link. Especially down there. But if you've decided to brave the unknown, please find my daughter and bring her back to me. What we've seen here today defies logic and explanation. But it is only the start of your long journey, I fear. Please, see it through and prove legends true."

Link stood amazed for the thousandth time in the past half hour. Gaepora stared at him, not as a student, but as a father. One who was dreadfully worried about his only love still there. Link gazed up at him before answering.

"Headmaster Gaepora, I can't tell you that I will succeed, and I can't tell you that I will not stumble a time or two on this long journey. I can't even assure you I'm the right one. I'm no hero; I'm only seventeen years old. Not to mention Zelda has been the one to help me through anything in life. Frankly, I don't know how I'm going to do it without her. But I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to bring her back, safe. I promise you I will not abandon my search until I find her. You can count on that."

Gaepora's eyes flooded with tears before pulling Link into a tight hug. The two held each other for a while, coming to terms with the instant change in their lives before pulling back, Gaepora's hands on Link's shoulders.

"You do a father so proud, Link. I know you will succeed."

"Thank you," Link replied.

"Now, dawn has yet to rise, but you and I have had a long day, and most of the night. You should try to rest before setting out tomorrow."

"Alright," Link answered.

Gaepora studied him for a while, his brow furrowed.

"You know, Link. Those clothes… they really aren't sufficient for your journey. However, the uniform you were to receive for winning the race should be ready. A uniform like that should be more suitable for your travels. I'll have it in your room first thing this morning."

"Yes sir, thank you." Link told him.

And with that, the two left the Chamber of the Sword, ready to prepare for whatever long journey awaited them. As the walked, Link prayed to the goddess. He prayed for hope, and help. But most of all, he prayed for Zelda.

* * *

**A/N: Okay I had some trouble uploading this so I hope it works this time. Anyway, here's chapter 8. It was really more of a transitional chapter, but still yet, essential. Feel free to review, hope you all enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9: To the Surface

Link awoke, for the first time that he could remember, alone. Without Zelda, there was no one to bonk him on the head, or pull him out of bed, or mess up his covers. He pushed the depressing thought aside. He couldn't think about not having her right now. He had to think about the fact that he was going to find her. He could not loathe in self-pity. Whatever she was going through right now could be far worse than what he was.

And, as he would later find out, it was.

Link got up out of bed, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. He looked on his desk to find a green knight uniform neatly folded, just as Gaepora had promised him. He took off the dreaded clothes he had worn on the day of the ceremony and dressed in the new night uniform. He admired the maker's handiwork. It was a forest green, with tan pants. He tucked his pants in his boots and synched up his belt. Link heard a knock on the door and answered it to find Gaepora with a plate of breakfast for him. He thanked him, and began to gorge himself on the meal, for he did not know when he find another one as nutritious.

Gaepora advised him to stop by the Bazaar before leaving Skyloft. Link donned his gloves, and broke them in a bit. Gaepora smiled at him with satisfaction.

"That green uniform is what our knights this year will be wearing. I had my doubts about the color, in all honesty. But upon seeing you wear it, I couldn't imagine a more fitting color. Link, it's as if you were born to wear it!"

Link smiled genuinely for what felt like the first time in ages.

"Thank you, Headmaster," he replied.

Gaepora regained his seriousness, as Link's departure was nearing.

"Take care on your journey, Link. I will return to my office and see if I can find anything of use to you on the road ahead. I'll begin with the ancient texts to glean what I can for this mission."

Link nodded.

"And Link? Know that if you need me, I'm right here. You and Zelda will be and my prayers, day and night. May the goddess guide and watch over you both."

Link flatly thanked Gaepora, too overwhelmed to be emotional. Gaepora hugged him, and left before he shed any more tears.

Link stopped at the platform in the courtyard by the goddess statue. He turned around to gaze over Skyloft, the little piece of floating land that had been his home. He couldn't see all of it, really, but he purposefully chose to dive off of this platform; the one Zelda pushed him off of the morning before.

He took a deep breath, and jumped off. As he felt his feet leave the ground, he knew the next land he would be stepping on would be the surface. He had no idea what to expect. Fear and anxiety coursed through his veins. But the thought of Zelda alone to fend for herself kept him going.

He called his loftwing, and was soring within seconds. As Link flew away, he turned around slightly. He saw the place where he and Zelda had been, not twenty-four hours before, talking about the surface and her desire to see it.

_Little did she know…,_ he thought.

Link remembered the two of them stepping in to hug each other before being interrupted by his loftwing. Link mentally kicked himself again for not taking the time to give her one last hug. His stomach dropped at the thought of never again feeling her skinny arms slip around him, and her head rest right beneath his shoulder. He might never again be able to caress her long hair and hold her close to him when he was in despair. Of course, he hadn't ever been in as much despair as he was now. He longed to hear her words of encouragement, just one more time.

Link snapped out of his stupor as he approached the large green pillar of light. His loftwing seemed a bit hesitant, but Link pet him slightly to assure him that it was okay.

Fi popped out of the sword to tell him that they were nearing, and that he should pull out his sailcloth to keep from thrashing onto the ground. Link did not find it encouraging.

He steered his loftwing right toward the light. He stooped down so that he was right over the break in the barrier. Through it, he could faintly see shades of green covering the land beneath. It was already larger than he expected.

_Of course_, Link thought, _I don't know what I expected to see, anyway. _

Rapidly, the terrain of the area began to get clearer. With that being said, it also got closer. Link was astounded by the view that he hadn't realized how close he was getting to the ground. He quickly snapped out of his trance at the land and whipped out his sailcloth. He landed on his feet, stumbling a bit from the momentum of the fall.

_"Make sure you take good care of that, okay?"_

Zelda's voice rang through his head upon seeing the sailcloth. Link held it to his face and inhaled her scent before gently tucking it back into the adventure pouch that Fledge had made for him.

After saying a quick prayer for Zelda and imagining her in his mind, he decided to survey the area. The ground was hard and solid. It felt as if there were miles of it under his feet. Link took in a deep breath. There were so many different smells and textures to the air. It seemed heavier, and…sticky, in a sense. There wasn't nearly the kind of breeze there was in Skyloft, and from what Link could see, there were thousands of trees. Hills got in the way of his view of the vast land, but he could tell that it stretched on forever. He was truly stunned by everything around him But, for some reason, in a way, he welcomed it.

Immediately, Link heard Fi's chime as she flew out of the sword.

"Master Link, we've arrived. This is the fabled surface that has long been part of Skyloft legend. By my calculations, you are currently in the Sealed Grounds. Please proceed with caution, Master."

Link was still looking around while she talked, but was careful to take in the information that she spoke.

He decided he would explore the area, with hope of finding anything that would lead him to Zelda. Link pushed back the thought of finding her any condition that couldn't be considered alive and well. He remembered the snap of her arm and the height of her fall, but he hung on to what Fi said the night before.

Link had only taken about three steps when a Deku Baba emerged from the ground. It had looked like only a flower, but once he got close to it, its vine neck extended. It turned its head to him, ready to strike. Link jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of an enemy. He drew his sword from its sheath. He struck once toward the plant, but it merely turned its head and bounced back. It struck for Link, but he jumped back, evading its disgusting teeth.

Link took notice of the position in which it opened its mouth. It reminded him of the logs he had practiced on in the sparring hall back on Skyloft. Realizing the proper way to attack, Link skillfully swiped his sword horizontally, right through the creature's mouth. Its head split and it fell dead to the ground.

Link sheathed his sword, pleased with his ability to figure out how to destroy the monster. It wasn't long until two more popped up; but he easily took them out.

Link came to the end of the path and jumped down, landing in front of a giant stone temple. The terrain seemed to spiral downward, until it reached a stopping point far below the temple. It was about a 100-foot drop from where he stood.

He took a step forward cautiously. There seemed to be another presence with him. He looked around, but he could see nothing.

Abruptly the area around him flashed with black and red. Link stopped, realizing his mind was beginning to feel foggy. He walked toward the edge of the first level that he stood on, looking down to the center of the spiral. Black tendrils of an unknown smoke or steam were bellowing out of the ground. The ground began to shake, and the area around him went black and red again. The strange smoke blew up toward him. Link shielded his face from it. Upon reopening his eyes, he couldn't see anything now. He felt like he was in one of his nightmares yet again. Then he heard an all too familiar roar. Link looked down to see the beast from his dreams coming out of the center of the ground.

He looked at it, confused. He felt a striking pain in his head, suddenly. Link dropped to his knees, unable to bear the pain. The black fog now began to consume him. Link opened his eyes to see the beast before him. It didn't appear to have any eyes., only sharp scales and a monstrous mouth with rows and rows of teeth. Link prepared to unsheathe his sword, but the beast was too massive. It gave a final roar before opening its mouth to devour him.

Link opened his eyes again. He was relieved to find that he was back in front of the temple, and the beast was nowhere to be seen In fact, the whole thing had been another dream. Or rather, vision. He peered over the edge a bit more for good measure, to ensure nothing of his vision had actually happened.

A slight breeze hit his face, which calmed him. It seemed to speak to him. Link turned around to finally study the temple. Half of the giant dome that once covered it was gone, leaving only a half circle over the portion of ground that he stood upon. The doors to the temple seemed very old and heavy. A strange glowing symbol covered the doors.

Link approached them, hoping to find a clue as to what to do once inside. But when he neared them, it was impossible to even touch the doors. The glowing light made them hot, unbearable to even attempt to open. He heard Fi's chime and watched as she gracefully flew out of the sword.

"Master, some important news. Even though the doors have been opened recently, they are now sealed with an ancient magic I cannot identify. Proceed around the nearby area to find a way to break the seal if you wish to enter."

Link's heart skipped a beat when he realized what she said. The doors had been opened, and recently. He knew it had to have been Zelda. The thought of her just behind the doors in front of him made him overjoyed. He was so close.

Link thought momentarily about what to do to break the seal. He did the only thing he could think of, which was jump off the ledge and see what evil was spewing out of the ground at the bottom.

Link ran and jumped off, pulling out his sailcloth just before hitting the ground.

He approached the design on the ground, and noticed the strange spike that floated above it. His head slightly ached due to being in the presence of the evil that surrounded it.

Unsure of what to do, Link began to get closer. Suddenly, a voice spoke to him.

"Young one…" it called.

"Child of Destiny who descended from the sky… raise the sword to the sky… take aim at the evil aura and unleash its power…"

Link expected Fi to pop out of his sword, but nothing happened. He didn't know what any of that meant, and he couldn't get his mind off of the way he was addressed.

"_Child of Destiny"? I'm no Child of Destiny. I'm just a kid trying to find his best friend. They've all got the wrong person._

Link only knew what it meant to, "raise his sword skyward", having done it before when Fi told him to.

He unsheathed his sword and held it up, feeling a surge run through it. Link slashed it forward toward the floating post.

The spike glowed with a heavenly light temporarily before apparently shoving itself into the ground. The black streams of evil ceased coming out of the ground, and all grew quiet.

Link heard what sounded like the wind come from all around him. Suddenly, out of tiny holes in the ground, air began to blow up. Link had never seen such a thing happen before.

He heard Fi and waited for her to explain.

"Master Link, I sense a change in the area that was triggered by your Skyward Strike," she began.

"I also detect an aura that correlates closely to your sailcloth. I surmise this aura belongs to Zelda."

Link's heart began to race. She was alive! And she was near. She had to be near. Sensing his excitement, Fi continued.

"I can lead you in the direction of this aura through a process known as dowsing."

"Wait, what is dowsing? How can you do that?" Link asked her, both excited and confused.

"Dowsing is when I detect the aura of something you wish to search for using the tip of your sword. The nearer you are to the object emitting the aura, the stronger the response will be. The response manifests itself through vibration," Fi answered.

Link took out his sword eagerly. Sure enough, he felt the sword begin to vibrate. He pointed it up, and the vibration got stronger.

Link looked around for a way up to the temple, where he knew she had to be. He judged that if he pulled out his sailcloth and jumped over the strong streams of air, he would float up to the next level. He walked over to one and tried.

With success, he landed softly on the next level up. He did this again and again until he reached the top. Link pulled out his sword and felt the vibration. It was extremely strong now, especially when he held it toward the temple. Link approached the doors again, noticing that the seal was fading.

It faded completely, leaving Link able to walk in. He pushed on the doors with all his might, nearly stumbling when they finally opened.

His heart raced as he imagined finally finding Zelda. It had only been about twenty-four hours since the horrible tornado appeared, but it felt like days.

* * *

Link stopped when he entered the temple. Stone pillars were perfectly aligned with moss covering them. What used to be stone on the ground was covered with grass in most places. The ceiling was also stone, except for the few holes in it. In the middle of the temple was a small set of steps leading up, a gap, and more steps leading down. It was as if something was supposed to go in the gap, but it was vacant. Behind the tiny steps were bigger steps, leading to a set of giant double doors. Sunlight shined through the hole in the ceiling (which reminded Link of Zelda for some reason), cascading down into the temple in front of the doors.

That is when Link noticed her. At the top of the steps, sitting on the ground, was a woman. She sat cross-legged under what looked like a teepee, but upon studying it briefly, Link realized it was her cloak. She had a braid that hung in front of her, which had been coiled up, and swung like a pendulum. Link watched her for a moment. She spoke before he had the chance to.

"Ah, the traveler who descended from the clouds. I welcome you, child of fate."

Link recognized her voice as being the one which called out to him moments before. He was still confused on why she kept referring to him with these names such as, "Child of Destiny" or, "Child of Fate".

Seeing he was still confused, the old woman spoke.

"Tell me child, what is your name?"

Link had to think for a second to remember what to say, or how to even speak.

"L-Link…ma'am." He said, trying not to sound rude.

"Link? Ah, very good. A good name."

"Um, yes. Thank you," he replied.

The old woman studied him for a while, a slight smile on her lips. Link studied her too, taking notice of her strange clothes and long braid that wrapped around her head. Her skin was darker than his, and wrinkled. A faint tattoo of a tear came from her eye. He liked her; she reminded him of some of the elders back on Skyloft, whom he always enjoyed talking to.

"I see you have gained control over the sacred power of your sword, the Skyward Strike, which is yours to command. It is proof you are fit to wield the blade you carry, The Goddess Sword. I have sat year for many years waiting for you to arrive, all so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide."

"My guide? I'm sorry ma'am, but I think you have the wrong person. I'm not a hero; I'm merely looking for my friend. Have you seen her?"

The woman only continued to stare at Link, clearly waiting for him to explain.

"I know I have had dreams troubling my sleep about a great mission, and that I have the sword and all, but I really don't think I am the one who is supposed to carry this thing out," he finished.

The old woman smiled at him.

"Oh my child," she said calmly. "You are indeed the one. Your meekness only emphasizes it. You cannot run from your calling, young man. You try to, but still yet you continue on in your journey. You have an unbreakable spirit."

"That's what I keep being told," Link muttered. He never wanted any of this. He was happy on Skyloft, striving to become a knight and spending his days with Zelda. It was only because of her that he was here; not some great mission.

"You will see, my boy. Trust in what you hear, for it is all true. Do not despair, all your questions will later be answered."

"And until then?" Link asked, deciding to stop denying what she said.

The old woman smiled and looked around.

"You stand under the Sealed Temple, a place built by the Goddess an eternity ago. Your arrival here was predestined many, many years ago. The spirit maiden you seek arrived here shortly before you, descending to this land in a shower of light. There is no doubting it. The gears of fate have begun to turn."

Link realized she finally answered his initial question, which was whether or not she had seen Zelda.

"So she's here? She is okay?" He asked, hearing his voice rise with each word.

"She is okay. But yet, all is not as it should be. The spirit maiden was not meant to reach this land in the manner in which she did. There is an evil power working in the shadows. It moves to warp the destiny which you two are a part of."

"So the beast in my dreams, and the one I saw in a vision coming out of the ground…it is the evil that is trying to destroy everything?" Link asked her, beginning to put what little information he had together.

"Indeed it is. Link, I know you are concerned with the spirit maiden and seek her whereabouts. It is understandable, but for now you must focus on moving forward. That girl has her own purpose she must pursue, as do you. She has set out to Faron Woods to discover that destiny for herself, and you must follow."

The old woman reached in her cloak, pulling out an old piece of paper rolled up. She took it and began writing on it before handing it to Link.

"This is your map. Take it with you on your journey. I have prepared it for you. The "x" on it locates the path that will lead you to Faron Woods. You will be traveling through unfamiliar land, and many monsters have settled there. I advise you keep a sharp eye and steady hand on your road ahead."

Link thanked her for the map and tucked it within his shirt, wanting to keep it safe.

"Go now, Link. You must head to Faron Woods and chase after the spirit maiden…the one you call Zelda. On your way, take the contents in the treasure chest in this room. It should prove to be useful on your journey."

"What about Zelda?" He asked her before leaving. "You said there were monsters in this land. What if she cannot protect herself?"

The old woman smiled again at Link.

"You sell your friend short, young hero. I think you will be surprised to find that that girl is well capable of taking care of herself. She has the goddess on her side, Link, as do you. Do not worry. Go now, seek her out."

Link nodded and began to walk to the treasure chest. Inside was a potion that would replenish some of his health. He recognized that this bottle itself might also be kept and used to store other potions.

"Hero from the skies!" the old woman called out before he went through the door.

Link turned to face her, realizing that he actually answered to the name.

"That girl may be able to take care of herself, but that does not mean you shouldn't do everything in your power to find her. It is _you_ who will abolish the darkness with your hand, and her at your side. Only together can you succeed. You are still assigned to protect her."

"Yes ma'am," Link said.

"And, Hero," she called one last time. "Good luck."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but time got away from me the past few days. Which leads me to this: I know this chapter is a lot of game-play which, frankly, is not my cup of tea. But I really didn't have time to go through and change it, and I wanted to go ahead and post this one. So leave me some reviews and let me know what you think. It's hard finding a happy medium between not glazing over game stuff and explaining enough. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's tough now because I don't have complete freedom like I did with the first five chapters. But, I digress. Hope you all enjoy and bear with me here, I'm trying to improve my writing. Thankfully I have a person to beta my stuff now! So thanks to them it's not as bad as it was. Thanks guys! Hope you all continue reading!**

**If you were notified recently that I updated, I was just editing this chapter. Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Chase

Link took off in the direction of Faron Woods. Upon entering, he realized that this must have been the place he saw from above on his descent. The forest was actually quite cheerful. Small plants that looked rather lively covered the ground. Link had no idea what some of the things were, but he could not help but smile to himself as he looked around. As he looked up, a giant tree stood in the middle of the woods. It was so tall and large that he nearly had to bend backwards to get a total look at it. Link felt a slight breeze hit his face. It seemed so noisy here: he was nearly startled at the sound of the leaves in the wind around him. He'd never heard so many at once. There was the sound of tiny birds, miniature loftwings, as Link thought, chirping about. He saw the sunlight shining through the trees again, reminding him why he was there.

_Zelda… I have to find Zelda. Focus_, Link told himself over and over as he ran through the forest. Remembering that he could use his dowsing ability to search for Zelda, he pulled out his sword to give him a heading.

Upon unsheathing it, his sword began to vibrate extremely strong. He tried pointing it towards the path in front of him, but he found that the vibe was stronger near a clearing in the forest. Link sheathed his sword and sprinted off in the direction his sword indicated Zelda was. He could feel his heart beat faster and faster, praying to the Goddess that he'd bump into her at any moment.

But he didn't. Instead of finding Zelda, Link only came upon a small plant-like creature. A red monster hovered over it, swinging its sword frantically.

Link had never seen the creature before. It looked almost like a warthog, and it stood about two feet taller than him. Link gathered his courage before running up behind it, slashing at it with his sword.

The monster let out a high-pitched squeal as it turned around to face its new opponent. Link swung skillfully at it, knocking it off its feet. Instantaneously, Link flew into the air before crashing down with a fatal blow. Defeating the monster was easier than he expected. In fact, the thing was quite dumb. He almost laughed to himself about its high pitched, rather annoying shriek.

He jumped off the monster's corpse, sheathing his sword, and turned to examine the little creature that the monster had been harassing.

"Huh…? It's gone quiet…," it said as it stood up. Upon seeing Link, the creature jumped in the air, startled.

"Koo-weep! Now there's another one!" And before Link could stop it, the small creature ran off into the woods.

"No, wait!" Link called after it.

Before Link could question, Fi popped out of his sword.

"Master, I am sensing an interesting spike in your dowsing readings from the creature you just encountered," she told him.

"Really? I thought it was picking up Zelda. And that little thing certainly wasn't her," Link responded, slightly saddened.

"Indeed it was not, Master. The life form you just saw was merely a peaceful Kikwi, an inhabitant of the forest. They are quite intelligent beings, capable of speech."

"So, why did my sword pick him up as Zelda?" Link inquired.

Fi continued to explain the phenomenon and the unbeknownst reason for the Kikwi to emit Zelda's aura. And so, a frustrated Link chased after the Kikwi, so that he could further chase after Zelda.

Finally, after a few minutes of chasing the little Kikwi around a clearing in the woods, Link caught him. It was only after Link convinced the Kikwi that he was not going to eat it that he got his answer.

"I'm Machi! I guess you're okay, despite the fact that you're scary," he said.

"Umm, thanks. I guess. But anyway, Machi, did you happen to see my friend through here: another human like me?" Link begged that Machi would know what he was talking about.

"In fact, I sure did, kwee! Except she didn't look nearly as frightening as you!"

Link chuckled to himself. Zelda could never frighten anyone by her appearance. She was much too soft and sweet to look scary.

"Well, that's probably true," Link replied. He knelt down so that he was eye-level with the Kikwi.

"Do you think you could tell me which way she went?" Link asked.

"I don't know. She was in a bunch of trouble when I saw her a few minutes ago…"

Link's stomach tightened. That was not the answer he'd been expecting.

"Trouble? Wait, what kind of trouble? What was happening?" He began, his panic rising.

"A pack of those red guys were after her, but she escaped. In fact, she saved me just in time. She threw me up on that ledge where they couldn't reach me. I had just wandered down here when I bumped into you."

_So Zelda has been here, and recently._

Link kicked himself for not being even a few mere minutes earlier. Even in his turmoil, he couldn't help smile about the fact that Zelda took the time to save Machi, even when she was being chased down. It was just like her to put herself aside in order to help someone.

"Machi, I really need to find that girl. Could you perhaps tell me any possible way she could have gone?" Link was nearly begging now.

Machi thought for a moment before answering.

"Oh, I know, kwee! She must've gone to our leader, Bucha! She had mentioned him before those monsters came, and I pointed her in his direction. He resides over there," Machi said, pointing down the path.

"Oh thank you, thank you, Machi! I'm going to go find her now."

"Don't worry, Mr. Human. I'm sure your friend is safe with my leader. One more thing, kwee," Machi said before Link sprinted off. "Would you mind telling my leader I am safe?"

Link smiled at the Kikwi before answering.

"Sure thing, Machi."

After searching tirelessly, and even killing off a few of the monsters from before (what Fi described as Bokoblins), Link finally found the leader of the Kikwi's.

"Umm, excuse me," Link said to the oversized Kikwi. He watched as the Kikwi picked himself up, and turned to face Link.

"Kweeeeee-hee. I am Bucha, the Kikwi elder. You must be a master woodsman to spot me, kew."

"Well, thank you," Link responded, although it was truly easy to spot him in the clearing.

"Well, this is truly beginning to be an eventful day. Twice now I have seen these different life forms called humans. I ran into another one of your kind just a few moments ago."

Link felt his heart rate increase immediately. Finally, he was catching up to her.

"Really? Where did she go? One of your Kikwis told me she was with you. Machi was his name. He told me to tell you that he was okay," Link said in a hurry.

"Machi?! So he is safe! Oh thank goodness, I have been worried about my little Kikwis all day. They dispersed when those monsters came through here, kwee."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Link said, feeling sympathetic for the elder. But he couldn't get side tracked now. He was just beginning to reach Zelda… or at least know her whereabouts.

"Yes, it's a tragedy, and frankly, I can't remember where your friend went. My mind is overcome with shock and worry for my tribe. My memory of the girl is hazy. But monsters are still lurking the forest, and I don't dare leave my spot! Three Kikwis are still unaccounted for."

Link knew where the conversation was going immediately.

"Do you think," Bucha continued, "that I could ask you to find them, kwee? If you could calm my fears, I'm sure I could remember where your friend went!"

Link smiled empathetically. He couldn't just leave the poor elder to wonder about his tribe.

"Of course I will!" He responded, cheerfully.

"Oh thank you, kwee! I just know you can do it!"

After about an hour of searching, and fighting off dozens of Bokoblins, Link had finally found the last three Kikwis. All of them were very timid creatures, and each one thanked him for his help. Link had gotten turned around a few times, not realizing just how vast and intricate this new land was. Finally, he headed back to Bucha, hopeful that he would then have a heading in Zelda's direction.

Bucha turned to Link as he swung over to the clearing where Bucha sat.

"Hello, kwee! So, you found all of my Kikwis?" Bucha asked.

"Yes, I did! And they told me to tell you they are fine, and not to worry," Link responded.

"Oh, that news just warms my heart! Thank you every so much. I am indebted to you."

Link smiled humbly and softly kicked the ground with his foot.

"Oh, your friend! I do believe I remember where that pretty girl went now, kwee," Bucha continued.

Link's eyes shot up, wide with excitement.

"Really? Which way?" He responded, hastily.

"That young girl—Zelda, I believe was her name—said she had to find the Skyview Temple in the deep woods."

Link felt his temper flare, which was a rare thing.

"And you let her go out there with those _things_ chasing after her?!"

He felt his voice rise with each word. Bucha only stared at him while he spoke.

"I tried to warn her about the monsters out there, kwee! But the clever little thing vaulted off my belly and ran off on her own just the same."

Link nearly swore under his breath.

"No, Zelda! How could she just take off like that?"

Link was furious at the situation. He was even slightly mad at Zelda. He knew how stubborn she could be when she was set on doing something. He thought back to all the times she would face danger head on.

_Of course_, he thought, _there really wasn't this kind of danger in Skyloft…_

* * *

_"Link, please!" Nine-year-old Zelda pleaded to her best friend._

_"Zel, no. You know this isn't safe," Link calmly stated. _

_"But no one will know! You know I can do it," Zelda continued. _

_She had been begging to fly Link's loftwing for about a week now. The two of them met at their special spot, far out of the sight of the authorities on Skyloft. Link knew it wasn't a good idea to let her navigate it. She had ridden on his crimson bird a couple of times while he steered, but she had never flown one by herself. Zelda loved the brightly colored loftwing, and it loved her as well, recognizing her as Link's best friend. But her relationship with it could not match the one the bird shared with Link. And he knew that._

_"I promise I'll be careful. I won't even go far. I won't do anything crazy, on my word," Zelda continued, holding up her right hand._

_Link felt torn upon her promise. Zelda never broke a promise. But still yet, he couldn't live with the thought of something happening to her. And since she'd be on his bird, there would be no way of him to rescue her. With that risk in his mind, Link made his final decision._

_"Zelda, I'm sorry, but you know I can't let you. What if something happened? What if you fell? I couldn't live with myself! And I probably wouldn't have to for long because your father would kill me!" _

_Zelda studied him for a moment. Her bright blue eyes were filled with disappointment, which Link hated seeing. _

_"I'm sorry, Little Bird," he said more quietly._

_"It's alright, Link. I understand. You can't always take the risks I ask of you. And you're right. It would be dangerous, I suppose."_

_Link was slightly surprised at the amount of composure and maturity she displayed. Zelda was always very mature for her age, but she never tried to be around Link. Considering he was her best friend. She usually put up more of a fight. Figuring she had finally accepted her defeat, Link smiled and put a hand on her shoulder._

_"How about you and I go see what Henya has put out for a snack? Maybe we can actually eat something before Groose and his fellow bottomless pits gorge it all down," Link said with a smile on his face._

_Zelda's face lit up a bit more at the comment. _

_"Alright, lead the way," she replied. And with that, Link started off._

_He continued to walk in front of Zelda, as she had told him to. He remembered the funny time Henya got on to Groose for hogging all the snacks, and he turned to remind Zelda of it too._

_"Hey, Zel, remember the time that—" he cut himself off when he saw she wasn't around._

_"Zelda?" _

_Before Link could question, he heard Zelda whistle. The whistle was so closely related to his. She had mastered his pitch perfectly. Which made sense, because now she was flying away on his loftwing._

_"ZELDA!" Link called after her. _

_He watched in terror as the girl flew away, only able to see her blonde ponytail flying behind her. Zelda glided the loftwing smoothly in the air. For a moment, Link was actually impressed with her skill. She had really been paying attention to him fly. But then he remembered the horrible things that could happen if she wasn't careful. _

_Link ran over to the platform she jumped off of. He began waving his arms, signaling to bring the bird in. He watched as Zelda made a sharp turn, heading his way. She gained speed as she flew, frightening him whilst invigorating herself. He could hear her laugh as she approached. _

_"Zelda! You have to dive off!" Link yelled, hoping no one in town could hear him._

_"Wait! I don't have my sailcloth!" Zelda yelled back. _

_Link kicked himself for taking his eyes off of her. He should've known she'd pull something like this._

_"Just jump! I'll catch you!" He called up to her. _

_Zelda timed herself to fall right over Link's outstretched arms. She held her breath and rolled off of the loftwing, praying Link would catch her. _

_She felt herself fall through the air for a brief moment before being stopped suddenly. With a thud, both children fell on the ground, unharmed. __Link held on to Zelda, his eyes squeezed closed. When he opened, he found Zelda still in his arms, even though both of them were on the ground. Her eyes were shut tight as well._

_"Is there blood?" Zelda asked, opening one eye to examine her surroundings. _

_Link looked around, seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary._

_"No, but there will be if you EVER do that again!" He said to her._

_Link watched as a small smirk appeared on Zelda's face. The expression aggravated him. There was no curing her._

_"Get off of me, you scraggily remlit," he spat, pushing her off his lap._

_Zelda tried to suppress her giggle, but it still escaped. The sound made Link smile a bit too as he began to stand up, grabbing Zelda's hand to pull her up as well._

_"You never cease to amaze me. Can you, just for once, try not to be so stubborn?"_

_Zelda smiled in response to him before answering._

_"That was trying. If I had really wanted to be stubborn, I'd still be up there."_

_"Next time I'm just gonna throw you off my loftwing."_

_"Just wait 'till I have my own! I'm gonna fly circles around you all day long," she teased._

_"We'll see, Little Bird." Link smirked, knowing the comment would infuriate her._

_Zelda only punched him in the arm in fake anger. And together, the two made their way to the dining hall for their afternoon snack._

* * *

It was Bucha's voice that called Link back into reality. He had been lost in thought in a memory he hadn't thought about in years.

"I don't know, kwee. She's a stubborn little thing, I suppose. She did, however, maneuver her way this far into the woods with those Bokoblins after her. When she found me, she had just swung her way here. I saw her climbing in the trees!"

Link slightly laughed to himself, whether out of humor or insanity, he didn't know.

"She headed down that way toward the temple. Be sure to take good care if you follow her though. That area is crawling with monsters," Bucha continued, pointing in the direction.

"I will, Bucha. Thank you for all your help," Link answered, sorrowfully.

"Oh, one more thing, kwee!"

Link turned to see Bucha holding a slingshot. From where it came from, Link didn't know.

"As a reward for finding all my little Kikwis, I bestow this gift to you! Now maybe you can stun those members from afar!"

Link smiled at the sight of the slingshot. It was quite a handy apparatus.

"Thank you, Bucha. This will probably prove to be quite useful to me along the way. I appreciate it."

And with that, Link waved farewell before swinging across a vine to find the temple.

Link thought he had seen the entrance to the deep woods nearby one of the places a Kikwi was hiding.

After ridding the land of more Bokoblins and Dekubabas, Link finally saw the large stone temple ahead. However, he ran down the path only to find a giant, seemingly endless crater between him and the temple. The abyss spread all around, leaving only a few pieces of land here and there.

_I should've known I wouldn't have been able to just walk right into it…_, he thought to himself.

After swinging across various vines and climbing a number of trees and ledges, Link finally found a way up and around the giant, gaping pit.

He approached the giant temple entrance. Instantaneously, Fi emerged from his sword.

"Master Link, I am sensing Zelda's aura in the temple ahead of you."

Link looked forward to study the temple. It had a large, stone staircase that led up to a door, and two more staircases on either side of it. Above were stone archways leading to the floor about two meters off the ground, which held the door.

"However," Fi continued, "I also sense the presence of many monsters. If you wish to continue your search for Zelda, proceed with caution. If you wish to return to the sky, stand by the statue near the stairs to the temple, and it will send you back."

Link turned, surprised, and looked at the statue. It resembled a loftwing, perched on a pillar. He smiled at it, thinking of his own feathery companion. He wondered how the small thing could send him back, but he focused on the task ahead, and carefully walked up to the temple.

When he got to the door, he found it was sealed, and would not open without finding the "key" to enter.

The key, however, was not a key, but a switch.

_Of course…,_ he thought, annoyed.

Link studied high and low, for a clue. He found a pink, crystallized rock hanging over the door to the temple. Not knowing what to do immediately, Link tried jumping to grab it, but it was too high. Suddenly, the thought occurred to him to hit the switch with a deku seed from his slingshot.

Immediately, the door became unsealed. Link smiled at his success.

_How on earth was Zelda able to figure that out? And how did she even hit it?_

The more Link thought about it, the more he began to realize he had underestimated his fair friend. He began to have more respect for her, lost in admiring her skill for a moment. Thinking about her, he began to long for her.

_I have to find her. I have to find her and bring her home,_ he thought.

Again with the thought of Zelda and the two of them returning home as his motivation, Link readied himself to go into the temple and face whatever may await him there.

He studied the entrance. Unlike the friendly forest outside, the temple was dark and eerie; Giant spider webs lined the walls, and a long staircase descended into the darkness, going deeper underground.

Even Zelda would have been hesitant to go in the place. But the thought of her scared and alone in the temple pushed him forward. Summoning every bit of his courage, Link swallowed hard and raced down the steps.

* * *

**A/N: Hello blessed souls who decided to continue reading. First things first, I want to give a shout out and a HUGE thanks to my pal The Supreme. He has helped me through this whole thing, revising some things for me and making me a better writer altogether. So check out his stories because he is amazing at what he does.**

**Also, I hope this chapter made sense with the flashback I threw in there. The big italicized portion was supposed to be Link thinking back to that moment. A little frame story action going on. I will probably be adding more things like that into this story, and I have a lot of ideas so stay tuned to see what else is in store for Link and Zelda. I plan to stick with the game and all, but as far as dialogue and emotion goes (because, let's face it, there was no emotion between characters in Skyward Sword) I will probably digress from the game a bit. Anywho, hope you all enjoyed this one. PLEASE review and let me know what you think. Even if you hate it, so I can know how to make it better. Thanks!** **-Zepora**


	11. Chapter 11: So Close

_"Hey, get up," Zelda whispered._

_ "Not again…," Link moaned._

_ Fifteen year old Zelda sat atop Link's bed on her knees. She climbed over him, trying not to puncture any major organs with her knee. Once she had successfully made her way around him, she put her cold palms to his bare back and began to push him out of bed. _

_ Link's eyes shot open._

_ "Good goddess, Zelda, your hands are freezing! Couldn't you just pull me or something?" Link asked her, frustrated with the sudden cold on his warm skin._

_ Zelda laughed quietly._

_ "I definitely stuck them in the ice chest before coming in here," she said through a childish grin._

_ "And you expect me to be proud of you for that? How much more torturous can you get?" Link loudly whispered back. _

_ "I expected to wake you up," Zelda replied, Mission accomplished. Now come on, I want to show you something." She gave him a hard shove out of his bed. _

_ Link grabbed her hand for balance so he wouldn't fall out of the bed and potentially wake up his neighbor next door. _

_ "Do you know this whole night-adventuring thing is getting kind of old?" Link said. It was something they had been doing for the past ten years now. But he still loved it. Anything Zelda drug him into was usually an adventure. He knew he had to act somewhat annoyed, or else she'd begin to notice just how much he liked being with her._

_ "Are you implying I need to grow up?" Zelda asked._

_ "I'm implying that you need to stop pushing, pulling, rolling, or dragging me out of bed. You know you kneed me in the kidney earlier?" Link said, rubbing his side. _

_ "Oops," said Zelda, clearly unsympathetic. _

_ "Anyway," she continued. "Come here. You'll love this."_

_ Link took a hold of her outstretched hand and she led him, as usual. _

_ The two made their way through the Knight Academy, being careful to avoid making any noise that could lead to them getting caught. They stealthy made their way to the upper level of the Academy, and snuck out the door. Link didn't know where Zelda was leading him this time, thinking about how she'd pretty much led him all over Skyloft._

_ Link followed Zelda quite a ways. Neither of them spoke, both just content with the other's company. Link let Zelda lead him in their comfortable silence, enjoying the feeling of her hand in his. _  
_ Sidling under the shadows, Zelda made her way below the Goddess Statue. Link stopped temporarily, looking forward to where she was headed._

_ "You want me to follow you down there?" he asked her, reluctant to follow this time._

_ "Yes. There's nothing down there, I promise," she reassured him._

_ Link's instincts told him not to go. The shadowed portion of land behind the Goddess Statue was eerie and isolated from the town. Link looked back at the village, deep in sleep. He debated with himself whether or not he should follow. Zelda's voice interrupted his thoughts._

_ "Please, Link?" she asked sincerely, her blue eyes looking up to meet his. They sparkled in the moonlight, making them even more captivating than before._  
_ "I promise you it's safe. I promise," she continued, holding up her right hand._

_ "Alright, fine," Link said, continuing further. He knew it might be stupid. But Zelda promised that it was safe. And Zelda never broke a promise._

_ Link continued hopping down small ledges and cliffs until he was on the lowest portion of Skyloft. To his surprise, however, a small cave was hidden beneath the cliff. It only went in about ten feet before turning into a wall. It was more of a tunnel than a cave. But that wasn't the surprise. _

_ Inside the small cave, plants lined the walls. Greenery hung down the walls, and small flowers were planted all along the sides. A small white bench sat against the wall of the cave, perfectly made for two. The grotto was beautifully decorated with all sorts of different flowers and plants, some that Link had never seen. Along the walls, potted plants added dashes of color all around. Link looked to Zelda, who was beaming with satisfaction._

_ "Well?" She asked, biting her bottom lip while her hands clasped in front of her. _

_ "Zelda," Link breathed, "did you do this?"_

_ "Yep," she replied happily. "I've been putting it together for a while now. I know how much you like Instructor Owlan's room, since he has plants covering the walls, so I thought I'd make you one of your own rooms like that. What do you think?"_

_ Link could't believe his eyes. The beauty of it was too much to take in. Only a beautiful girl like Zelda could have created such a beautiful place. But the grotto's beauty didn't amount to anything compared to the blue-eyed beauty next to him. _

_ "It's…perfect. Beautiful. I can't even begin…I mean you don't know how much," Link stammered out beginnings of sentences trying to tell her how much it meant to him. Before he finished any of them, he swept Zelda into a hug, gripping her shoulders tightly._

_ "I can't believe you did this for me," he whispered._

_ "I just thought I'd surprise you with something. It's always nice to be surprised when you're least expecting it." Zelda replied, blushing slightly at his contact with her. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but it was fairly dark out, given that the full moon was their only source of light._

_ Link pulled back to look at Zelda. _

_ "Thank you so much," he finally said. _

_ "Well, you're welcome. I'm glad you like it so much!" Zelda said, laughing slightly. _

_ "It's amazing. But this can't be all mine. We'll share it. It'll be our new place, how about it?" Link replied, smiling._

_ "I was hoping you'd say that," Zelda said, her beautiful grin spreading across her face. The kind that caused her eyes to disappear under her cheeks slightly. _

_ Link grinned back, still gripping her shoulders. He was overcome with relief that he'd swallowed his fear and followed her into this place. He knew he'd been foolish to doubt her. _

_ "You know, I've got to learn to trust my instincts at some point though," Link said laughing._

_ "Huh?" Zelda confusedly asked._

_ "I was certain you were leading me back here to murder me," Link joked._

_ "Hey now, what have I always told you?"_

_ "Trust meeee," the two said in unison, holding out the word 'me' just as Zelda always did._

_ "I swear one of these days your crazy stunts are gonna kill me, Little Bird," Link remarked, slightly nudging Zelda's arm._

_ "Don't worry, the Hero of the Skies shall come save you!" Zelda remarked, referring to the hero name she went by as a child when the two of them played._

_ "Oh good goddess, that'd only make it worse," Link said, rolling his eyes._

_ Zelda only nudged him back harder._

_ "Oh shut up," she replied jokingly, the two of them making their way back to the academy._

_ "Actually," she continued after thinking briefly, "that's something we haven't done in a while."_

_ "What?" Link responded._

_ "Played that game," she said, her voice far off as she remembered the many times they played it all night long._

_ Link smiled and suddenly fell to the ground._

_ "Link? What are you—" Zelda started before she was cut off by Link's overdramatic, fake shrieks._

_ "Oh no! The evil dragon of Dongobrookhavech has trapped me! Someone save me!" _

_ Zelda ginned as she realized what he was doing. She flung her hair behind her and jumped, holding her fist into the air while the other rest on her hip._

_ "Fear not, citizen! For it is I, Hero of the Skies!"_

_ Hours passed as the two played and laughed all night long until the break of dawn, reliving their precious moments as children, returning to the innocent minds they still held on to._

* * *

Link stared down at the darkness all around him.

"Well, Little Bird, I said it'd kill me one day," Link mumbled aloud to no one. He recalled the time he followed Zelda behind the Statue of the Goddess in the middle of the night, despite his fear of the place.

"I guess that day is today…" He continued as he passed a giant spider web along the walls of the Skyview Temple.

He tried to tell himself it was just another adventure Zelda was dragging him into, pushing aside the fact that she wasn't here. And that she was in grave danger.

But the thought comforted him, and Link clung to the feeling.

Just as he was starting to feel more confident, ready to face whatever may await him in order to be reunited with her, a monstrous spider with a shell in the shape of a skull on its back fell down in front of him. Link swung at it instinctively, thanking the Goddess for the reflexes he possessed. But the skulltula was still hanging on it's web, swinging back and forth in front of Link. The slash bought him some time, as the spider couldn't strike at him while moving. Link slashed at it again, sending it twirling on it's web. He located the weak spot on the belly of the beast, and struck it. The giant spider fell on its back, its legs squirming in the air. Link had a particular hate for the eight legged creature, and wished to remove it from his presence as quickly as possible.

Ready to end the vile thing, Link launched into the air, aiming his sword directly for the creature's stomach, before crashing down on it. He was proud of himself for perfecting his deadly blow, and flipped backward off of the creature, kicking it into the pool of water near him once he was certain it was dead. Even if it wasn't, he was certain it couldn't swim.

"Fi," Link said aloud.

Fi flew out of his sword upon his call.

"Yes, Master?"

"What was that?" Link asked, gesturing towards the sinking caucus of the spider.

"My data tells me that monster was a Skulltula, a giant spider with a skull-shell protecting it," she answered.

"Well, we know how to kill them now," Link replied before thanking her.

Fi nodded to Link and flew back into the sword.

Link sheathed his sword and continued deeper into the temple. He had the unshakeable feeling that someone, or something, was following him. The feeling made him apprehensive, forcing him to keep a steady, quick pace through the temple. Though it was lined with traps and various puzzles, he made his way through fairly quickly.

Link had obtained a map of the temple when he was searching for clues on how to progress through it. He had finally reached the very last room after fiddling with a tenacious key to get into the room. Link felt his heart race knowing Zelda was just on the other side of the door. One door. That was all that was between them. Only one door between seeing her beautiful blue eyes and golden hair. He was eager to find her, safe and sound.

_ Heck, I'll make it back to Skyloft in time for lunch_, he thought cheerfully. He realized that he had been in the temple for a considerable about of time, and was eager to get out into open air.

Just as Link rushed to the glowing door, he was stopped by a piercing bright light. He threw his arm in front of his face to protect him, and shielded his eyes. When he raised his head, he felt a giant pain course through it. There, right in front of him, stood a man. Well, what looked like a man. This man was tall, about three inches taller than Link, and was glowing white. His hair was cut in a manner that shielded his eye, making it impossible for Link to see all of his face. The man's cloak floated behind him in an invisible wind. He stood, black sword in hand, looking as if he was ready to strike at any time.

Link watched in terror as the man held his sword. He was certain he would strike at him. But to his surprise, the person in front of him seemed to have no knowledge to his presence. The man turned to the door, preparing to strike through it. Link felt his heart rate increase as he realized that this evil person wasn't after him.  
He was after Zelda.

Link placed a hand on his sword, ready to unsheathe it at any moment.

Just as the man was preparing to strike the door, however, the man's sword dissipated into thin air.

Grunting angrily, the man turned to face Link. Finally, he spoke.

"Oh look, you're alive…"

His words sent chills down Link's spine. The strange man's face was pale grey, clearly not human. It seemed like metallic, similar to Fi's. His eyes were underlined with purple, and his lips were a paler white than his skin. He looked to be dead. Link stared at him, unable to speak.

"I thought that tornado I stirred up would have surely torn you apart. Yet, here you are. Not in pieces," the man said, grunting.

"It was you who sent the tornado?" Link asked, feeling the anger rise in him.

"Oh look at you! You comprehend words! Your mother must be so proud."

Link felt his face burn hot at the mention of his mother.

"I'm pretty hard to get rid of," he replied, holding in his anger.

"Oh don't flatter yourself. Your life or death has no consequence. It's just the girl that matters now, and I can sense her presence here—just beyond that door," the man said, looking lustfully at the door.

Link prepared to strike him. He would've gone ahead and eliminated the vile person, but he was curious as to what the man had to say next. Link could tell he was lost in thought, so he let him speak, gleaning every ounce of information he could.

"Yes, we plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds and now she's ours. Of course, we were supposed to eliminate you in the process. Yet, here you are. What a shame. Oh, but listen to me. I'm being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you call The Surface. You may call me Ghirahim," he said, turning to Link with an all-too-satisfied grin.  
"As if I needed permission," Link said.

"Well, in truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I'm not fussy," Ghirahim said, turning to the door.

"So humble," Link deadpanned, unsheathing his sword. He'd had enough of this pompous "demon".

"Did you seriously just draw your sword?" Link heard Ghirahim say, seemingly annoyed.

"Foolish boy," he continued, spreading his arms out in an openly "fair" manner. "By all rights, the girl should've fallen into our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the Goddess snatched her away," Ghirahim said, hands in front of his face, shaking with anger.

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside? Furious! Outraged! Sick with anger!"

As Ghirahim spoke, his voice depend and rose in tone. Link stepped back, taken aback by the amount of anger this prissy demon held. But before he could say anything, Ghirahim disappeared. Poof. Gone. Vanished in a sea of magical glowing diamonds that disappeared behind him.

Link looked around nervously.

_This whole game just changed_, he thought to himself, realizing he was woefully at a disadvantage.

"This whole change of plan has made me with an appetite for bloodshed," Ghirahim's voice said, ringing throughout the room. Link struggled to find the source, but couldn't see Ghirahim anywhere.  
"Still," it said again, his time, right behind Link.

He shot his head towards the voice to find Ghirahim standing right behind him, talking directly into his ear.

"it seems hardly fair, being of my position, to take all my anger out on you, I suppose. You do look like a rather fun toy…so skinny. So no, I won't kill you right off the bat."

Link felt himself still not relived. This Demon Lord was clearly more than anything he could handle.

"No," Ghirahim unfortunately continued, "I'll just beat you within an inch of your life!" He yelled at Link, sticking his disgusting long tongue out and hissing it like a snake in Link's ear.

Link gasped, horrified, and stumbled forward. Ghirahim now took on a whole new look as his cloak disappeared. He was clearly strong, and clearly confident. Which worried Link even more.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers a blade appeared, black and humming. Link had no time to respond. Ghirahim launched it forward quickly, barley giving Link time to evade the knife.

Link ducked, hearing the blade whiz over his head. Ghirahim only looked at Link and awaited his approach with a smirk on his face.

Link ran towards him, ready to strike. In an instant, Ghirahim snapped his fingers and disappeared.

He reappeared on the opposite side of the room, laughing at Link.

"Oh , little human, the look on your face! How precious!"

Link waited for Ghirahim to reproach him. As he got closer, Link held his sword tight. Slowly, Ghirahim held out his hand towards Link's sword. Link stood, appalled at his boldness. Ghirahim stepped in and took ahold of Link's blade with his bare hand. He held it tight as Link struggled to release the demon's grip on his sacred sword. Ghirahim's hand held steady on the blade as a menacing grin spread across his face while he snickered with satisfaction. Link gathered all the strength he had and thrust his blade across Ghirahim's face. The demon lord stumbled back, his hand raised to the side of his face. He merely laughed off the pain and glared at Link.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers again, summoning four blades to his side. He thrust them at Link, all in a line. Link waited until the blades got closer to him. Swiftly, he swiped his sword, hitting the blades and sending them back to Ghirahim. The blades dug into Ghirahim's flesh, leaving him open.

Link ran to him at the speed of light, thrusting his sword and swinging it in all directions, unleashing his anger upon the demon.  
Ghirahim backed up and licked his lips, sending a chill down Link's spine.

_What the heck is with his tongue?_ Link thought to himself, before seeing Ghirahim reappear behind him.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers and summoned his deadly sword. It buzzed as it whizzed through the air. Link continued to dodge and slice and evade any attack Ghirahim made. When he finally had backed Ghirahim into a corner with his continuos strikes, Link thrust his sword into his chest.

Ghirahim shrieked loudly, frustrated with Link's success. He disappeared, and then returned inches behind Link, kneeing him in the back. Link heard his spine crackle upon the contact, releasing a blood curdling scream from his lungs.

Ghirahim laughed, ready to pulverize the boy more. Link spun around quickly, slicing his blade into the vile demon. Frustrated and ready to end the fight, Link kept fighting. His limbs continued tirelessly.  
_ Keep going. Keep fighting. You have to protect her. You can't let him get to her._ Link continued to encourage himself, using Zelda as his only source of motivation.

Finally, after agonizing moments, Link lit into Ghirahim, slicing and sticking his blade in every part of Ghirahim's body possible.

To Link's satisfaction, Ghirahim stumbled back, panting loudly.

"Well, you put up more of a fight than I thought possible from such a lanky boy," he said, pointing at Link with his sword.

"But don't clap for yourself just yet," he continued, "that sword is the only reason you're still alive. But I believe I've spent much too long teasing and toying with you."  
Ghirahim looked towards the door, noticing the fading glow.

"I can no longer sense the girl's presence coming from this place, meaning there's no reason to linger here."

Link had just felt some of the worst pain in his life. But none of that measured up to the amount of pain that he felt upon hearing Zelda had fled, once again.

"Well, goodbye, Sky Child. Run and play for now. But get in my way next time, and you surly will die," Ghirahim announced before swinging his sword in an elegant circle around him, and again, disappearing.  
Link felt himself relax once Ghirahim was gone. He released the tension he held in his shoulders and sighed.

He didn't think he had been too badly injured until he felt the screaming pain in his spine upon taking a step. Link sucked in air and told himself to ignore the pain. He refused to believe what Ghirahim said earlier. Zelda couldn't have left so quickly.

Link approached the door and watched it magically open. He felt a cool breeze hit his face, immediately soothing him. When Link took a moment to look around, he could not believe the sight.  
He never imagined the temple spring he had been told to reach would be this beautiful. He stood on a stone aisle leading to a staircase. Around it, small waterfalls fell into the shallow pool surrounding him. Stone pillars lined the aisle, and circled around the platform that the stairs led up to. Around him, the sunlight shone down into the tranquil spring. It occurred to Link that anywhere Zelda had been, sunlight seemed to beam.

_There's no way Zelda left here_, he thought._ She likes swimming too much. She would love this place. No, he was wrong. Ghirahim was wrong. He had to be wrong._

"Zelda?" Link called her name lightly. He glanced around in all directions, hoping to see her somewhere. He imagined her splashing in the crystal clear water.

_ "Link! There you are!"_ She'd say. _"Come on and swim! This place is so cool! I can't wait to tell the others at home! Come on, Link!"_

Link's heart fell at the emptiness of the place. He longed for Zelda's presence. He longed to see her again, hear her again, feel her arms slip around his torso again. But he had no idea how long it would be until he would. Or if he ever would.

_Stop that_, he thought, scolding himself. _You will find her. You're not going to let anything happen to her._

Link walked up the steps and onto the platform. From here, he saw three small stepping platforms that stopped in front of a smaller version of the Goddess Statue. In front of the Goddess was a crest, exactly like the one in the Chamber of the Sword. Link drew his blade, and held it skyward. He felt the familiar surge course through it before slashing it towards the crest. Instantaneously, the crest came alive, spinning around in it's crystal beauty.

Link heard Fi's familiar chime as she flew out of the sword in a ray of light. She glided over in front of the Goddess Statue, her feet making the tiniest ripples in the water.

"Master, I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate for you," she said.

Before Link realized it, Fi moved into a dancing position, gracefully bending her knee, extending her other leg behind her. With angelic grace and poise, Fi began to twirl and glide across the pool, explaining the message.

"From the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out my great mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. You stand in one of those places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring. The second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Eldin."

Fi began twirling non-stop, arms spread out wide, in front of the statue. Link had never witnessed her so free and graceful. She then continued telling of Zelda, the Sprit Maiden's, whereabouts. Link listened intently, saddened upon realizing she really had left. And he had barely missed her departure.

"The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task in front of her, has set out to this sacred place."

Fi danced away again. Suddenly, a bright light emitted from the goddess statue. From it, another stone tablet appeared, floating over and landing in Link's hands. He admired it, noticing it was precisely like the tablet he had received the night Zelda was taken. Only this tablet had a ruby emerald embedded in the stone, unlike the green one in the other.

Link looked back to see Fi observing him. He waited for her to say something, but she merely transformed into her ball of light and flew into his sword. He stood there momentarily, looking around the spring. His thoughts led to Zelda: what she was doing, where she was going, how she even got there, and the fact that she had just stood in this very place.

_What does it mean to "purify her body"?_, he asked himself. _As far as I could tell, her body was as perfect and pure as it could be already._

Link slapped himself for letting his mind go as far as thinking about her body. There were much more important matters at hand than thinking about her perfection in every curve and edge of her, or the perfection in every step she took.

Link shook his head to clear his mind. Although Zelda was still in his mind. It hurt him to think that she left, potentially knowing he was right behind her. He thought about what her role in this "great mission" was.  
Realizing there was nothing more to do in the area except waste time, Link scuffed his feet and walked over to the nearest bird statue to return to Skyloft. As much as he wished it would, thinking about Zelda wouldn't bring her back.

With that in mind, Link held out his sailcloth as he felt the rush of wind under him, and flew into the clouds.

* * *

**A/N: My apologies for not uploading this sooner. I know it has been quite a while since I updated. But school started and my life has been non-existent ever since *she said through tearful eyes*. BUT God hath shone His mercy upon me and I found time to edit this one and finally post it. I'm already well into chapter 12, so hopefully I'll have that one up soon. Thanks to my pal The Supreme for revising, and of course my awesome cousin who helped me out with this whole thing since the beginning. He is an actual author and he blessed me with his wisdom and guidance throughout my story. Also, side note: thanks to The Staves for writing the song Mexico...cause that's literally the only thing I listened to the entire time I wrote this chapter. Anyway, finally, it's done. Expect more from And All the While I Lay Sleeping as well, cause I'm kind of jumping back and forth between the two. But I WILL finish both, no doubt. I have started this rigmarole and I refuse to just quit. No matter if it's terrible and gets no views at all, I'll finish it. So there you have it. Read it, review it, and let me know what you think please oh please. I need to know how this is coming along, my readers are slacking on reviews here. (Kidding). But for real, feel free to leave me some. Until next time, dear readers!**

**-Zepora**


	12. Chapter 12: Nighmares

Link ran through the door which led inside the Goddess Statue, hoping he wasn't seen by anyone as he was in a hurry. He approached the altar and placed the newly acquired tablet in it. He waited for a moment, wondering what would happen next. Shortly after, Fi flew out of his sword.

"Master, I have located a second opening in the cloud barrier. It is located in the northeastern part of the skies. The opening will allow you to access a new area on the surface. I suggest you fly there as soon as you are prepared. But, Master, I suggest you first replenish your fluids and rest."

"Thank you, Fi, I will." Link responded, touched by her caring suggestion.

Link looked over everything in his adventure pouch. He checked the stability of his shield, concluding it was in well enough shape to continue using.

_I can't just go ahead and go; especially after what happened with Ghirahim._

Link put a hand to his back upon thinking about the short battle with the demon lord. He observed his many cuts and bruises that had already formed. In reality, the two fought for a fairly short amount of time, only ten minutes at most, but it was enough to completely injure Link to a degree he hadn't been in his life. He had never been so thoroughly wounded by an opponent; except for perhaps once, earlier this year.

_"Hey!" Sixteen year old Zelda said cheerfully as she jogged up to Link in the academy. Her hair was pulled back in a headband, revealing all of her face. It was rare that her bangs didn't hang in front of her. She held her books against her chest as she slowed to a walk, smiling at Link._  
_Link smiled back at his friend, genuinely happy to see her._

_"Hey there," he replied._

_"Where are you headed?" Zelda asked him. Link knew she had been studying in the classroom for the last few hours. She was always an over achiever._

_"I was going to head to the sparring hall and practice a bit. Eagus said he would show me a few of the advanced techniques."_

_"Well, aren't you the sparring prodigy?" Zelda teased._

_Link blushed slightly at the comment. It was true; he did have a gift when it came to swordplay. He progressed far more quickly than anyone in their class, much to Groose's dismay. Eagus often had Link come to spar with him independently and practice just between the two of them. He referred to it is as Link's "independent studies."_

_"I don't know about that," Link finally answered._

_"Well everyone else does! You're the best swordsman in school! Come on, Link. You even beat Eagus last week," Zelda said excitedly. She was so proud of her best friend. Usually, Zelda would've been jealous, as she was constantly determined to be the best; even if it was sword fighting, and even if she was, in fact, a girl. She was very competitive like that. Although she herself was fairly good, she was not as skilled as him. For some reason however, it didn't bother her.  
_  
_"Oh, he wasn't even really trying, Zel."_

_"Yes he was! We will discuss it no more. You're amazing, stop being humble," Zelda replied, waving a hand as if to signal the end of the discussion. Link looked over to see her smiling from ear to ear at him._

_"Whatever, Little Bird."_

_"Oh hush. Well, if you're going to spar, I suppose I'll go back to my humble abode. I finally finished studying, which you should do, too, by the way."_

_"No, thanks, I'll do it later. But don't go back to your room. Why don't you come and watch?" Link asked Zelda, trying to sound casual. He always liked having Zelda around to watch him and cheer him on. She would yell at him from outside the ring, telling him where to go and when to strike. Of course, he would occasionally look over at her, exasperated with her coaching. There were a few times that Eagus even agreed with her, when Link could've blocked a strike had he done what she said. But he did the exact same to her when she would spar, so he got over it. Lately, it humored him._

_"Well," Zelda said, pondering the question, "I suppose I could for a little while. I need to fold some socks, but I guess I can put it off long enough to watch."_

_Link looked at her with his usual "annoyed" expression. Zelda only grinned, as was her usual expression._

_"How thoughtful of you," he replied while she laughed._

_The two made their way to the sparring hall after stopping by Zelda's room so she could put away her books. Upon arriving at the sparring hall, Link noticed Groose standing at the front of the room, arms folded across his chest and a sour expression on his face._

_"So you're here for your little private lesson, are you?" Groose spat at him._

_"I'm just here to practice, Groose," Link replied calmly, more annoyed than intimidated._

_"I have an idea," Groose said in an all too innocent voice. "How about you and I go at it for a little while? Eagus was just saying I'd improved so much that maybe I should fi— I mean, spar you for a bit." _

_Link looked at Groose questioningly. Eagus wasn't around, so Link didn't know if the claim was true or not. However, beating Groose yet again in a match wouldn't be too boring._

_"Yeah. Yeah, I don't see a problem with that. Go ahead and gear up. I'll go in the back and ask Eagus to ref our match."_

_Groose looked at Link with a slightly unsettling smile._

_"Perfect," he replied before running over to the corner and putting on his sparring gear._

_"Link?!" Zelda whispered harshly. "What are you doing? You know he's just going to get mad and want to beat you up!"_

_"Hey, relax. Nothing is going to happen. Groose is a fair fighter, he won't try anything crazy, Besides, it's been a while since we sparred each other. Maybe he really has improved," Link soothed._

_"He's a boy, Link. Boys are prideful. They don't just lose graciously."_

_"Zel…" Link said in his usual parenting tone, looking down at her under long eyelashes._

_Zelda let out a sigh before answering._

_"Alright, fine. But don't expect this to end well," she said._

_Zelda stepped back, seeing Groose approaching, holding in her nervousness. Link was a talented fighter, but Groose was much bigger and much taller. Not to mention much meaner as well. Watching the two of them fight made her apprehensive._

_Eagus came out from the back room of the sparring hall and reluctantly agreed to let the two boys duel._

_Link put on his sparring gear and stepped into the ring, standing across from Groose. Eagus began to recite off the rules and regulations, as always. Link felt the excitement course through his veins. Sword fighting invigorated him. He loved the suspense and the constant threat. Something about wielding a sword just felt right to him; it was his purpose, his reason for existing. He was meant to be a warrior._

_Zelda stood in behind the ring, watching tentatively._

_Before commencing the match, Eagus added one thing._

_"Alright, gentlemen, I want a good clean fight. Remember, no punches, kicks, or sword contact of any kind to an unprotected area."_  
_Both the boys nodded in agreement._

_Soon, the match started. Link and Groose circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move._

_Of course, Groose was never a very patient person. He stepped in, going for Link's front leg. Link evaded the attack effortlessly and threw his leg in the air, kicking Groose back as he did._

_Groose stumbled, smiling sinisterly at Link. He waited again. After a short pause, he bent down and clumsily swung for Link's knees. Link jumped into the air, pulling them up to his torso. As he landed, he bent down, taking both of Groose's feet out from under him with a swipe of his sword. Groose quickly pulled himself back onto his feet. He began swinging wildly at Link over and over, aiming anywhere he thought he saw an open spot._

_Link blocked Groose's moves as he was slowly pushed to the edge of the ring. From her spot beyond the ring, Zelda yelled at Link repeatedly to block or strike back or kick somewhere. She couldn't understand why he wasn't being aggressive._

_It was stated in the rules that fighting must not be taken out of the ring. Link continued backing up until he was officially out, but Groose refused to let up._  
_"Groose," Link called out, growing concerned by the other boy's wild assault. "You're taking it out of the ring, buddy."_

_Groose didn't listen. He continued to push Link back further and further, not letting up his assault until he was dangerously close to Zelda._

_"Groose, time! Time out!" Eagus yelled, seeing a potential problem. But Groose didn't heed his warnings, now within striking distance of Zelda. One wrong swing and he could seriously hurt her.  
_  
_Link became frustrated with Groose; his childish attack on him he could deal with, but putting Zelda in danger over a simple sparring session was taking it too far. Now mad, Link began to fight back with vengeance, pushing Groose around as hard as he could. He struck, kicked, and punched in all directions he could without breaking the rules._

_"Don't…get…that close…to her…again," Link yelled at him in between strikes. He quickly and decisively took control of the match, pushing Groose back into the ring and disarmed him with a quick swipe._

_Groose grunted in displeasure and took off his head gear, appearing to be tired. Eagus watched like a hawk as Link took off his head gear, and his chest padding as well, clearly not as exhausted as Groose was._

_Suddenly, Groose looked up at Link with his same sinister smile._

_Link did not seem to notice the dark smile, and gave Groose an apologetic look. "Look, Groose, I'm sorry. It's just that you got really close to Zelda and had she not seen you coming, you could've hit her. Thankfully, she was smart enough to move, but usually people don't because you're not even supposed to step out of the ring—"_

_Link was cut off by Groose's large palms smacking hard against his chest, knocking the breath out of him._  
_"What was that—"_

_Groose hit him again, this time harder. Then he hit him again, and again, over and over. Eagus yelled in a frightening voice for Groose to stop, but neither boy listened to him. Groose gripped Link's shirt and swung him around, slinging him into the nearest wall. But Link did not fight back. Link turned around just in time to see Groose's fist smack into his face. Blood started dripping down his nose instantly. But still yet, Link didn't fight back. Groose came near him again despite Zelda's never-ending stream of demands and threats, and kneed Link directly in the stomach._

_Link fell to the ground immediately. Zelda screamed Link's name upon the contact. He winced at the pain, clutching his side. Groose pounced for Link once more, landing another punch to his face. Eagus sprinted to Groose, picking him up and throwing him off of Link before he could do any more damage. He began yelling furiously at Groose, dragging him outside. Before he left, he glanced at Zelda, who was too busy staring in worry at Link to notice. Eagus knew Zelda would tend to Link, making sure he was alright._

_Zelda rushed to Link, kneeling over him. She rolled him onto his back, placing his head in her lap._

_"Link, Link. Hang in there. It's gonna be alright, you're okay," she said in a shaky breath, trying to calm him and slow his breathing._

_"You've just had the breath knocked out of you, don't worry, it'll come back. Just breathe normally," she continued, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, though it was in vain. Link tried to regulate his breathing, letting out yelps of pain in between._

_"Shhh, you'll be okay, it'll go away soon."_

_Zelda brushed the hair out of Link's face and continued to whisper soothing words to him. She used her shirt to clean the blood off of Link's face. He lifted his hand and tried to hold hers to not ruin her shirt, but she persisted. She didn't care that Link's blood was smeared on her palms or all over her shirt, nor did she even really notice. Zelda just continued to stare at Link and whisper to him in a soothing tone. His breathing finally returned to normal while his eyes fluttered shut, letting Zelda continue to stroke her hand through his hair until she could get his nose to stop bleeding._

_Link was quiet for a moment, so Zelda finally spoke._

_"Link? Are you alright?" she asked in a concerned tone. Her mind wracked through all of the potential injuries: concussion (being number one), broken nose, bruised rib, and Goddess only knows what else._

_"…Ouch," Link finally answered in a muffled tone._

_Zelda let out a small laugh of relief._

_"Oh, Link. I'm so sorry," she said._

_"Don't worry, Little Bird; I'm alright. Just got the breath knocked out of me," Link replied, a little clearer._

_"You gave me quite a fright, Swordsman," Zelda lightly teased back._

_"Yeah, well it was worth it to have someone brush my hair for me. It's been days since I've done it myself," Link said through a crooked smile._

_Zelda laughed, blushing slightly, wondering how his comment should be taken._

_"You didn't have to bruise your spleen for me to brush your hair, you know."_

_"Apparently I did," Link teased back. "Sorry about your shirt."_

_"Oh don't worry about it. I didn't even like this one anyway,"_

_"In all honesty, I think the smeared blood makes it look way cooler," Link jokingly stated._

_"You're treading dangerous water for a boy who just got his breath back. You really want to lose it again that quickly?" Zelda said through a childish smirk._

_"Zelda, my friend, you never cease to take my breath away with your crazy stunts."_

_Zelda continued smiling and slightly bowed in gratitude._

_"Annnnd I thank you," she responded proudly._

_Eagus finally re-entered the room, still looking panicked about the previous few minutes._

_"Link! Buddy, are you alright?" he asked, worried._

_Link continued lying in Zelda's lap, not wanting to get up for a number of reasons._

_"Yes sir, I'm fine. Thanks to Zelda. She stopped my nose bleed so I'd say I'm back to normal."_

_"I wouldn't quite say 'normal' Link," Eagus replied. "You took quite a beating."_

_"Yeah…" Zelda chimed in, sounding suspicious._

_Link glanced at her questioningly but she averted his gaze and continued thinking._

_"Well, we can all thank her for tending to you long enough for me to handle Groose. The Headmaster has him now. I don't know what got into that boy. I know he's competitive, but I never thought he'd deliberately fight you like that, especially without your gear on," Eagus continued._

_"I bet I could name a few reasons," Link muttered, looking at Zelda again._

_"Have you tried sitting up?" Eagus asked him._

_Without answering, Link began to sit up. He felt an aching pain coarse through his side, but he ignored it until he could support himself. Zelda placed her hand on his back to stabilize him, which he became thankful for._

_"Well, that was harmless," he said, despite his spinning head._

_"I think you should go back to your room, Link. And clean that blood off of your face. Boy, the people in town are gonna freak out upon seeing you," Eagus said, shaking his head._

_"Zelda," he continued seriously, "I need you to watch him. Make sure he doesn't under any circumstances go to sleep. We need to watch him to make sure he doesn't have a concussion. Although I doubt he does, Groose is a big boy with a big temper. I don't want to take any chances."_

_"Yes sir, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him," she responded quickly._

_"Perfect. I'll help you stand him up. See how he can walk."_

_Link remained silent throughout the conversation, focusing on not clutching his abdomen. Eagus and Zelda began to stand up, holding Link under the arms. He stood up surprisingly easily. He stumbled on the first few steps, but then appeared to be walking fairly stable._

_"Think you can take it from here?" Eagus asked Zelda once they reached the door._

_"I think I can handle him, don't worry. Thank you Eagus," Zelda replied._

_Eagus nodded and apologized to Link. He thanked him, and then began his painful journey back to his room._

_Link wrapped his arm around Zelda, using her for balance as each step was a shot of pain through his torso. Zelda seemed to wince with him upon watching him move. Link never once complained about pain, so she knew the seriousness of it when he continued leaning on her._

_"Typically when a boy has his arm around a girl, it's enjoyable," Link thought with a hint of amusement to himself. "But this is nothing of the sort."_  
_When they finally arrived to Link's room, Zelda helped him over to his bed and forced him to not lie down._

_"I'll go get a wash cloth and help you get that blood off of your face. You look like you ate a raw Remlit," she joked._

_"That's disgusting," Link replied._

_"But it worked. You were momentarily thinking about the morbidness of my comment as opposed to thinking about the pain coursing through your veins."_  
_"Gee, thanks," Link deadpanned._

_Zelda smiled and walked out of the room quickly. Link watched her as she went, thankful the Goddess graced him with such an amazing friend._

_Zelda returned with a damp hand towel. She sat on her knees on Link's bed, inches from his face. Link knew she was merely observing his nose, but he only stared at her giant eyes in front of him. It was rare that Zelda was ever this close to his face. He took advantage of her closeness to actually study her. He looked at her soft pale skin and her ski-slope nose. He'd never really noticed her facial features: her high cheek bones, soft pink lips that were shaped perfectly, her slim face that shadowed her neck, or her long dark eyelashes that cascaded over her eyes. But her eyes were the most captivating things of all. Link had noticed them and admired them many a time. But with her only inches away from his face, it made it easier to see just how intricately perfect they were. Her bright blue irises were outlined with a much darker blue, and any light was reflected right off of them. They were big and bright, giving the illusion that they too, emit light of their own. Zelda finally looked down at him, questioningly, just now noticing his gaze._

_"What?" she asked, tilting her head curiously._

_Link scrambled for a response other than the truth.  
_  
_"Is it bad?" he replied, hoping he sounded normal._

_"No no, it's not too bad," Zelda said, apparently believing his intent. She had already started lightly cleaning the blood off, careful to avoid hurting him. The two sat in silence, save for Link's occasional winces and her whispered apologies._

_Link felt Zelda's light breath on his forehead, smiling slightly upon glancing up at her to see her mouth was barely open. Zelda glanced back down at him._

_"What?" she asked, her smile growing slightly._

_"You're working so intently," he replied._

_"Yeah. One slip up and you're gonna be in major pain. So don't tempt me."_

_Link continued sitting still until Zelda announced he could move. She sat back, admiring her work._

_"There. Good as new!"  
_  
_Link only smiled at her in response. The two stayed like that, smiling at each other for a while until Zelda's smile slowly faded._

_"What?" Link asked her._

_"Why'd you do it?" she asked quietly, her voice betraying her concern and confusion over his actions._

_Link looked down sheepishly._

_"Do what?" he asked innocently, although he already knew what she meant._

_"I've seen you take on Groose enough times to know that he's no match for you. You could've easily beaten him up if you'd wanted to. Why did you let him hit you like that?" she asked sternly, eye level with Link again._

_Link paused for a while before answering, trying to think of an explanation that would satisfy her. But he came up with nothing. So he told her the truth._

_"Because, Zel. I wasn't going to stoop to his level and fight him back like that. It wasn't worth losing my integrity over. Besides, it would have only made him angrier at me if I had fought back, especially in front of you," he said, gesturing towards her._

_"What do I have to do with anything?" Zelda asked confusedly._

_"Come on, don't be stupid. You know he has a thing for you. A weird thing." He pointed out, shuddering a bit as he remembered all of the creepy moments Groose fawned over her._

_"Groose is just a typical boy, infatuated with the female gender. He looks at Karane and Orielle the same way." She waved her hand dismissively._

_"Maybe so, but he REALLY likes looking at you more, and, frankly, it's repulsive."_

_Zelda felt her heart rate increase slightly at how protective Link was being. It was unlike him to act so attached in this manner. But she concealed her emotions and continued to speak._

_"Well that doesn't give him the right to physically harm you. Nor does it mean that you have to sit by and let him. You actually fought back for a while before he took his gear off."_

_"Yeah, but that was when he put you in danger," Link admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up a bit._

_He thought about how he would later regret being so openly defensive of Zelda. But he decided not to care at the moment. Zelda paused at his comment, taken aback by his willingness to protect her so forwardly. Sure, he'd been there for her plenty of times and defended her dignity when she'd been stupid, or he had put his arm around her in a protective manner when she was afraid. But never had he been so defensive._

_"Well, I moved. So it was okay," was her only response._

_"Good thing you did. He could've hurt you."_

_"But he didn't. He just slammed his knee into your stomach."_

_"Thanks for reminding me."_

_After pondering Link's words for a moment, Zelda looked up at him wearing a more serious expression, rather than the one she got when she ranted._

_"Thank you," she told him softly, a look of genuine gratitude gracing her pretty features._

_"What are friends for?" Link asked, smiling._

_Zelda silently got up from Link's bed and walked over to his desk to admire his wood carvings._

_"Hey," she spoke up after a while. "Are you hungry or anything?"_

_"Maybe a little," Link said. Just then his stomach rumbled, confirming his want for food._

_"Want me to go get you something to eat? I can ask Henya to make you your favorite stew. You've had a rough day," Zelda replied through a sympathetic smile._

_"You'd do that?" Link asked her, slightly surprised at her compassion._

_"Of course, silly! I'll be right back!" she chirped, walking towards the door._

_"Zelda… wait."_

_Zelda turned around suddenly at the urgency in his voice and walked over to him, worried something was hurting him._

_"What is it? Are you okay?"_

_Before she could push him back down, Link stood up and embraced her in a tight hug._

_"Thank you," he whispered in her ear._

_Zelda froze at the sudden contact with him, but warmly returned his hug after a few seconds._

_"No need to thank me, it's just some soup," she said quietly._

_"No," Link responded, laughing slightly. "For everything. For helping me and getting the blood off of my face and calming me down earlier until I got my breath back. You're the best, Little Bird."_

_Zelda leaned back and tilted her head up slightly so that she could make eye contact with him._

_"Consider it an honor, young Swordsman."_

Link opened the door to his room, smiling as he remembered Zelda comforting him so much. But the thought made him long for her to be there with him now.  
Link took off his sword and shield and placed them beside his bed. All in one motion, he jumped up and sprawled out on top of his bed. He knew Zelda would want to kill him for getting in clean sheets when he was so dirty, but he didn't care. Immediately, upon impact with his bed, Link felt the fatigue take over his body, and almost instantly he was deep in sleep.

Throughout his near unconsciousness, Link dreamed strange, horrific dreams. He saw Zelda, over and over, being captured, tortured or killed. He kept watching her fall to her death over and over again. He saw her stabbed to death by bokoblins, devoured by Deku Plants, ripped apart by a swarm of ravenous spiders, drowning in a pool of her own blood, suffocating under the pressure of an unseen hand. The dreams got worse and worse. He saw the beast that haunted his sleep before and Ghirahim mocking him and his mother.

But the worst dream of all was none of these. The worst one consisted of Ghirahim finding Zelda; of him torturing her in the most brutal, twisted, sickening ways possible. Link watched in terror as the demon lord continued to assault her, viciously attacking her with all of his sadistic fury. After what seemed like an eternity of torment, for both Zelda and Link, Ghirahim decided to end his game and summoned his deadly powers, raising his hands right at her. As he waved his hands erratically, they began to burn with the same vile magic he had shown when he fought Link. Link screamed and attempted to throw himself in front of her, but it was no use. He was bound by glowing shackles, made out of the same evil magic.

Ghirahim laughed as Link's shrieks continued, but none were louder than Zelda's. Her screams rang through his mind as he watched the traumatizing sight of Ghirahim sending the same type of black smoke that was emitted from the monster towards her. Zelda too was bound in shackles, unable to protect herself. Zelda continued to scream and cry in agony, never stopping her pulling on the shackles. The shackles cut against her wrists, tearing her flesh. Her eyes were red and dry from her endless stream of tears. Her body was mangled; there wasn't an inch of skin on her body that wasn't covered in scars, cuts, burns, holes, or some other severe trauma. To say she had been through hell would be an understatement.

Ghirahim cackled gleefully, skipping over to Link and drawing his sword, pressing it against his neck.

"Hush, imbecile," he silenced him with a childish whisper. The villainous smile he wore continued to taint his face even as he continued speaking. "I could have done far worse. Would you rather your little friend be defiled whilst her soul is ripped away from her body?"

Link's anger became uncontainable in that moment. His head began to hurt and burn as he continued to struggle, swearing and threatening Ghirahim all the while. His voice grew hoarse as he screamed profanities, cursing the demon lord's name. Ghirahim only continued to laugh until finally Zelda seemed to lose her will. Her screams began to die down, her struggling weakened, and her limbs went limp. She let out one last cry before falling to the ground, still shackled.

Link felt his heart stop at the sight of her, motionless, bloodied, and looking so lifeless. Link felt hot tears spill over his cheeks while Ghirahim laughed ecstatically beside him. But Zelda's long, raspy cries continued to ring throughout the blackness around him.

"Link…Link help! Link…Link!"

"LINK!"

Link's eyes shot open to see Pipit standing above him, saying his name.

"Hey buddy, you're dreaming," Pipit yelled at him.

Link felt the sweat on his head and realized that it was a dream; no, a nightmare. He swallowed hard and tried to console himself. He focused on speaking to Pipit first.

"Hey, Pipit. How long have I been out?" he asked in the most even tone he could muster up.

"About 15 hours. I saw you come in here yesterday evening. I called for you, but you didn't seem to hear me. I figured I'd check on you; you're bound to be hungry or something," Pipit explained.

"Well, I'm honestly just thirsty right now. I'll get up and get some water. Thanks for waking me up," Link replied gratefully.

"Yeah, no problem," Pipit answered. However, he gave Link a concerned look. "Are you alright, Link? No one has seen you for a few days, and you look beat."

Link smiled crookedly at his friend. Pipit was never an emotional person, but it touched Link that he was genuinely concerned for him.

"I'm alright Pipit. Just haven't slept the past few days."

"You're not taking to Zelda's disappearance too well, are you?"

"I guess you could say that," Link answered.

"Chin up, Link. She will return. I'm sure of it." Pipit tried to sound confident, though he ended up sounding more nervous than anything.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Pipit."

"Well, I know the Goddess has her eye on Zelda. Don't worry."

Link wished he could believe Pipit's words. He tried to believe them, himself. But with the way things had gone, it seemed impossible.

"I hope you're right. Thank you," was all he said in response.

Pipit smiled, placed a hand on Link's shoulder, and then quickly exited the room. Link thought he saw the faint hint of a tear in his eye.

Link decided it was time to get up and get a move on. He hadn't slept at all during his journey to the surface. He wondered if Zelda had either. But at least he got to return to his own bed and sleep off his fatigue.

_Alright, let's see. Zelda was taken four days ago. Day one, I was thrown off and slept until early morning of day two. I was in the temple from day two until day three: yesterday. I fought Ghirahim. Zelda vanished. I came back here. I slept. Four days, and no sign of Zelda._

Link summarized the past few days in his mind, trying to get a grip on himself and how much time had really passed. It felt like an eternity. And he could only imagine what it felt like for Zelda. His mind wandered to what she was doing and where she was headed now. He wondered if she was safe. He knew she was alone, and unprotected. And with the thought of Ghirahim after her…

Link immediately stood up. He ran up the stairs to the bathroom. He splashed water in his face, and proceeded back downstairs into the kitchen.  
Henya stood motionless in the doorway, as if she were waiting for him. She stood with her arms folded in front of her, and a small, sympathetic smile was worn on her face. She held a brown leather bag tied up with one string. Link approached her with a questioning gaze, wondering what she could have.

"Oh, my precious child," she said in a soothing voice.

"Hi, Mrs. Henya," Link replied approaching her.

"I know you are in a hurry to find her. Here. Take this with you," she said, holding the bag up to him. Link took a hold of it to find it was fairly heavy for such a small bag. He opened it up to find it was stuffed to the brim with bread and dried fruit, along with a small, sealed cup of his favorite soup.  
Link looked at her, fairly shocked by her generosity. Henya stared back at him with tears close to spilling out of her eyes. Henya put a hand on the side of his face, having to reach up as far as she could to touch him. Link bent over slightly so he was more eye-level with her.

"Thank you," he whispered.

The fragile woman pulled him into a tight hug. She smelled of the academy and freshly baked bread. Link smiled, realizing just how much he'd always appreciated Mrs. Henya, and just how much he was going to miss the elderly woman.

Henya backed away from him, gripping his shoulders tight.

"Now you go find that girl. And you bring her back here, safe. Don't you go getting injured or dying on anybody, you understand?" she said in a strong voice.

"Yes ma'am," Link said through a raspy one, trying to hold back his tears.

"You take care of yourself out there, boy. Alright?"

"I will. I promise."

"Don't hesitate to come see me, Link. I've been cleaning up after you since you were toddling around in here. Don't think there's anything I can't handle from you," Henya replied in a motherly tone, handing him a bottle of water.

Link smiled back at her and took a drink out of the bottle. Feeling replenished, he smiled and hung the bottle on his adventure pouch.

"I'll remember that," he responded, and quickly exited the academy, rubbing the tears from his eyes as he walked out of the familiar door.

* * *

**A/N: Yikes. Poor Link hasn't had very good luck, or sleep. But, that's the way things go with the human brain. Link cheerfully remembers Zelda helping him when he's limp and bloody, and he dreams of not being able to help her when she's limp and bloody (course it was on a bit of a crueler scale but you didn't expect it to be nice, did you?) Anyway, thanks again to The Supreme. And be sure to check out his amazing story Moving On. I love it so far and he's only posted the first chapter! But I digress. I know it's been a while since I updated, and even longer since I updated And All the While I Lay Sleeping, but do not give up on me because I WILL finish these stories. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! (Actually I beg of you too so feel compelled...) See you soon!**

**-Zepora**


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